England’s Robert Rock defends his BMW Italian Open title delighted to be among a handful of players who this year have beaten both World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods in the same event.
Rock shot to world fame in January by relegating McIlroy into second place and Woods into joint third in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Since then McIlroy and Woods have won seven events between them.
“Beating Tiger was great in Abu Dhabi, and also finishing in front of Rory was fantastic,” said Rock.
‘Check out the fellow on this billboard’, said defending BMW Italian Open champion Robert Rock. (Photo – golfbytourmiss.com)
“My win is looking better and better and I’d like to thank them for that (smiling).”
But more seriously it was 18 months ago Rock finally buried any lingering Irish Open demons to win the BMW Italian Open in front of a Turin crowd he described as a lot less ‘awkward and uncomfortable’ than he faced in the 2009 Irish event.
The 34-year old Englishman led from start to finish and capped his last day of 67 with six birdies in a seven-hole stretch mid-round and win by a stroke with a 21-under par tally.
Rock was into his 10th year on the European Tour and his victory came in his 209th Tour start.
Fast forward to January earlier this year and Rock cemented his place as one of the best players in Europe in denying 14-time Major winning Tiger Woods and soon-to-be double Major winning Rory McIlroy the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Now Rock is aiming to become the first player to ever successfully defend the BMW Italian Open title.
However hampering Rock’s chances is a niggling lower back injury and he is competing for a first time since missing the cut in last month’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
“I’ve had to take quite a bit of time off due a slight problem in my back, and I don’t know what is the cause whether it’s sleeping in the wrong position of whatever,” he said.
“But then I played the Pro-Am today and actually scored well while the swing was okay and we’ll see how it feels tomorrow.
“The driver was difficult to follow through and I did have trouble titling my body and that hurts.
“I’m just trying to make it to impact without any flinches on the way.”
Rock revealed his is taking pain-killers to ease the pain.
And there’s the sight, and not to be sneezed at, of Rock’s picture adorning posters, billboards, magazines and so on, as the BMW Italian Open defending champion.
“It’s a bit weird seeing your picture splashed all over Turin but then it brings back happy memories of a great week here in June last year,” he said.
“Every time you come back to an event where you’ve played well you go over the final round in your head, and even though it’s been a year and a bit, the memories of last year are still very fresh.
“Looking back on the four rounds last year I just putted so well and better than I have ever done and something that I had never ever done before.
“The good thing is that I went from here to the U.S. Open at Congressional so I could not have been in better form.
“But there is less rough here on the course this year and while it’s still a little soft, it is how I would expect it to play and it’s probably better than the last few years.”
