Tiger Woods slayer Robert Rock returns to competition declaring he now fears nothing in golf other than the Ryder Cup.
Rock has spent the past week since his Abu Dhabi head-to-head success over Woods responding to hundreds of emails and text messages.
He’s also turned down an invitation to compete this week in the AT & T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a further encounter with Woods to tee-up along his European Tour colleagues in Dubai.
“The reception has been brilliant with everyone coming up to me and saying well done,” said Rock.
Robert Rocks now fears no one in golf. (Photo - Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“I received so many text messages and emails plus there’s been so many messages on Twitter including one from Nick Faldo which was nice.
“It’s just surprising and a bit of a shock how many people did watch that final round, and I guess it was a much bigger thing playing alongside Tiger Woods.
“So I am just as surprised as everyone else.
“And playing with Tiger Woods will be my lasting memory of that week and realising he was a really nice guy to play with.
“Tiger made it easier for me in a way when, and I am not saying that he would, but it appears it may be difficult to play alongside him and if he wasn’t as nice to play with it would be much, much harder.
“But he was good, and having spoken to him a day before made it a lot easier. That made my week already. I was just about to go out on the Saturday and I had a five-minute chat with Tiger Woods, so I was flying before I even teed off.
However there will be no avoiding Woods as Rock has qualified for next fortnight’s WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship and he’s looking to be among the top-50 on the world rankings as April 1st to qualify also for a first Masters appearance.
“The Masters is the goal that is presenting itself now,” said Rock.
“I slipped to 58th in the world last week and I have to be inside the top-50 the week before Augusta.
“So my schedule is this week’s Dubai Desert Classic and then hopefully the Match-Play next fortnight and hopefully the WGC – Cadillac two weeks after the Match-Play.”
However Rock was reminded of what could happen to those who win when paired with Woods by a player who has since slipped to 334th in the world after capturing the 2006 HSBC Champions.
He said: “David Howell just walked past me and said: ‘Be careful, Rob as I did that once.’
But I guess it might be the best thing I will ever do so I’m happy with that, and I don’t know what you do to top that.
“I can’t think of anything that will possibly be harder than that last round. Possibly the Ryder Cup if I ever get to play it.
“But the actual nerves and the pressure you put on yourself to play well because you’re playing with a guy like Tiger are just incredible.
“So being able to play half-decent in that company was quite surprising. I don’t think too worried about anything else now unless Ben Hogan and Sam Snead make a comeback (laughing).”
Meantime –
Rock says his Abu Dhabi win was put into perspective when being caught in snow last Saturday while driving on London’s M25 ringroad.
“I got stuck going back home on the M25 Saturday night, so that brought me back down to earth pretty quick so I had to sleep in my car for a few hours,” he said.
“In fact, sitting there in the car I realised that nothing much has changed for me.
“So whether I am the Abu Dhabi champion or not – the snow was certainly not making way for me and the car was stuck, like everybody else’s.”
