Tigers Woods felt the wrath of one golf rival during a tournament more than a decade ago.
Tiger Woods missed out on the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship title to Robert Rock (Image: GETTY)
Tiger Woods was shouted at by Robert Rock before the Englishman clinched the 2012 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship title. The 15-time Major winner was mistaken for a marshal and felt the wrath of his rival after failing to stand still while Rock was preparing to take a shot.
During the final round of the tournament, Woods was locked in a battle with Rock and Rory McIlroy in his quest for silverware.
And the legendary player appeared to annoy the British star when Rock was standing on the 10th tee.
Rock explained the situation back in 2012 as he explained: “It was embarrassing. 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.”
Robert Rock got the better of Tiger Woods to clinch Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship glory in 2012 (Image: GETTY)
Rock was ranked at No. 117 in the world at the time of the event but moved into a three-shot lead with 12 holes remaining as he sunk a birdie on the sixth.
But the Staffordshire-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 ace carded bogeys on the eighth and 13th holes as the pressure ramped up. And with five holes remaining, there were seven players within two strokes of the leader.
Rock answered with birdies on the 14th and 16th and held his nerve to clinch victory, despite being forced to take a drop on the final hole after driving his ball to within inches of a lake.
He eventually finished one shot ahead of McIlroy on 13 under-par and two shots ahead of Woods, who tied with Thomas Bjorn and Graeme McDowell.
“Robert played great today,” Woods said at the time. “Couple of iron shots down the stretch there were just beautiful.”
Earlier this year, Rock recalled the tournament as he wrote a piece in the Khaleej Times. And the now 47-year-old explained: “I hit a super putt to the edge of the hole [on the 18th] and I was the champion having shot a final round 70.
“Tiger was encouraging and absolute class all the way around, mindful it was the business end of the tournament. He acknowledged I was there – and said good shot when appropriate – a lot more than many other golfers I have played with.
“He was very nice especially at the end and in the Scorer’s Tent when it was really private and he said, ‘Well done’.”
Woods is one of the greatest golfers of all-time but has gone off the boil in recent years following a series of underwhelming performances. And he was back in the news this week after he was criticised by golf fans.
