I shouted at Tiger Woods for ’embarrassing’ moment before beating him and prime Rory McIlroy at prestigious event
Englishman Robert Rock would have never imagined a scenario when he’d yell at Tiger Woods before beating him to glory. But at the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the now-47-year-old from Staffordshire was left red-faced when he did just that. Robert Rock famously beat Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy to glory at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship After all, Rock was not a household name at that point while Woods had already collected 14 of his 15 career majors. Despite the vast difference in their respective trophy cabinets, it did not stop Rock from shouting at Woods from the 10th tee during the final round of the tournament. “It was embarrassing,” Rock said in 2012. “There were a couple of marshals who had gone off and were making quite a bit of noise. So when I got ready to hit my iron shot and I heard the same thing, I just assumed it was the guy I was looking at. “It was Tiger walking back and I shouted, ‘Stand still, please!’ He was fine. But I shouldn’t have done that.” Although the incident may have left Rock feeling embarrassed, the world No.117 at the time had every right to carry a sense of swagger that day at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Woods had gone into the final round of the event with a share of the lead alongside Rock. Out of the previous 60 times he had been in that position, Woods had let victory slip on just eight occasions. But that number would become nine thanks to a man who used to sell Mars bars at the Swingers Golf Centre in Lichfield. However, Rock’s final round was far from smooth sailing. Woods was left to rue a final round collapse against Englishman Rock Rock and Woods started brightly as they traded birdies in the opening holes before the latter left the door wide open for the relative unknown to take the ascendancy when he bogeyed the fourth. While the pair battled it out in their group, Rory McIlroy was slowly inching closer towards the top of the leaderboard thanks to birdies on the second and fifth. Woods’ wobble continued when he hit a bogey on the fifth, leaving Rock in the lead with a two-stroke advantage. The lead soon became three strokes when Rock made a birdie on the sixth. However, the pressure of being ahead of the modern greats soon became telling for Rock as he carded bogeys on the eighth and the 13th. Rock’s stutter allowed the rest of the chasing pack to close the distance, with a whopping seven players within two shots of top spot with only five holes remaining. It could have been oh-so-easy for Rock to wilt given the star power that had him firmly in the crosshairs. But Rock answered with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes as he produced his best golf when it mattered most. McIlroy won this event in 2012, holding off Tiger Woods McIlroy pulled out all the stops to keep up with Rock and even had the clubhouse lead thanks to a birdie on the 18th, although the latter was yet to play the final hole and was two shots in front. However, the drama was not done there as Rock’s drive flew in the direction of a lake. Rock soon thanked his lucky stars as his ball stopped just before it fell into the water. He made the bold call to take a drop given the risk involved with potentially hitting a nearby stone. The decision paid off handsomely as Rock eventually went on to beat McIlroy by one stroke, sealing the best win of his career. Rock later retired from professional golf in 2022, but he’ll always have that legendary day to look back on, even if it delivered one of the most embarrassing moments by yelling at Woods. The 2024 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship now begins on November 7 at Yas Links.
Englishman Robert Rock would have never imagined a scenario when he’d yell at Tiger Woods before beating him to glory.
But at the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, the now-47-year-old from Staffordshire was left red-faced when he did just that.
After all, Rock was not a household name at that point while Woods had already collected 14 of his 15 career majors.
Despite the vast difference in their respective trophy cabinets, it did not stop Rock from shouting at Woods from the 10th tee during the final round of the tournament.
“It was embarrassing,” Rock said in 2012.
“There were a couple of marshals who had gone off and were making quite a bit of noise. So when I got ready to hit my iron shot and I heard the same thing, I just assumed it was the guy I was looking at.
“It was Tiger walking back and I shouted, ‘Stand still, please!’ He was fine. But I shouldn’t have done that.”
Although the incident may have left Rock feeling embarrassed, the world No.117 at the time had every right to carry a sense of swagger that day at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
Woods had gone into the final round of the event with a share of the lead alongside Rock.
Out of the previous 60 times he had been in that position, Woods had let victory slip on just eight occasions.
But that number would become nine thanks to a man who used to sell Mars bars at the Swingers Golf Centre in Lichfield.
However, Rock’s final round was far from smooth sailing.
Rock and Woods started brightly as they traded birdies in the opening holes before the latter left the door wide open for the relative unknown to take the ascendancy when he bogeyed the fourth.
While the pair battled it out in their group, Rory McIlroy was slowly inching closer towards the top of the leaderboard thanks to birdies on the second and fifth.
Woods’ wobble continued when he hit a bogey on the fifth, leaving Rock in the lead with a two-stroke advantage.
The lead soon became three strokes when Rock made a birdie on the sixth.
However, the pressure of being ahead of the modern greats soon became telling for Rock as he carded bogeys on the eighth and the 13th.
Rock’s stutter allowed the rest of the chasing pack to close the distance, with a whopping seven players within two shots of top spot with only five holes remaining.
It could have been oh-so-easy for Rock to wilt given the star power that had him firmly in the crosshairs.
But Rock answered with birdies on the 14th and 16th holes as he produced his best golf when it mattered most.
McIlroy pulled out all the stops to keep up with Rock and even had the clubhouse lead thanks to a birdie on the 18th, although the latter was yet to play the final hole and was two shots in front.
However, the drama was not done there as Rock’s drive flew in the direction of a lake.
Rock soon thanked his lucky stars as his ball stopped just before it fell into the water.
He made the bold call to take a drop given the risk involved with potentially hitting a nearby stone.
The decision paid off handsomely as Rock eventually went on to beat McIlroy by one stroke, sealing the best win of his career.
Rock later retired from professional golf in 2022, but he’ll always have that legendary day to look back on, even if it delivered one of the most embarrassing moments by yelling at Woods.
The 2024 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship now begins on November 7 at Yas Links.
