Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Champion Robert Rock speaks high of Tiger Woods’ golfing etiquettes
Surprise winner of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Robert Rock still recalls the amazing moments when he was playing alongside Woods in the final round and finally took over his hero to land the coveted title earlier in the season.
The Englishman is now enjoying a celebrity status, as hordes of spectators flocked the cheeky player for an autograph.
He was playing a Pro-Am event just ahead of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and has just signed a lucrative contract with the Emirates Palace Hotel as its new golf ambassador.
Rock said, "It doesn't get much better than that for me. To make it better, it would need to be the same sort of scenario in a major championship".
Rock admitted after his stellar victory that he has worked as a bar tender, watching Tiger Woods winning majors.
Been an avid fan of the former world number one, it was a glorious moment for the Englishman to be playing with his mentor in Abu Dhabi, let alone finally beating him for the top slot.
He also revealed that, although he might have had a chance to play with the giants of the game like Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros in the past, he had never been so confused while playing next to Woods.
Rock said that Woods was a great company, he supported and lauded his shots every now and then.
Rock dismissed the idea that the 14-major-winner is rude and arrogant on the course and rejected selective criticism on account of his own experience.
He said, "As far as golfing etiquette, it couldn't be better. It's a bit unfair when people criticise him. There are a lot of distractions for him when he is playing, that was frustrating for me when I was hitting shots. I lost my temper a few times when that happened and he doesn't do that. He ignores it and just carries on".
Rock won his maiden European Tour event last year, the BMW Italian Open, after a painstakingly long wait of more than ten years.
He turned professional in the year 1998, starting his professional career from secondary tour and has since then struggled to stay in contention at high profile events.
He observed remarkable improvement at the end of the 2010 season and finally landed his first title in June last year.
Rock broke into top-100 on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) and is now eyeing a spot at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson, Arizona.
He will also be hoping to negotiate a place at this year’s Ryder Cup, scheduled in October, in Medinah Country Club. Several of the top-ranked players will be pitched in a tough battle at this week's European Tour event in Dubai.
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