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Central: Robert Rock news conference (22:19)

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Robert Rock talks to the press after his victory Sunday at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

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-All right, everyone. Robert, many, many congratulations. What a...

-All right, everyone. Robert, many, many congratulations. What a truly wonderful performance. You must be absolutely delighted. Just trying to sum up your feelings as you sit here as the Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion. -Well, it's pretty hard to believe that I managed to win today and I'm very surprised but I play good. So, I guess I had the chance from early on. I hit a couple of birdies. It made-- made the day feel a little bit easier plus it's difficult playing with Tiger. You would expect that almost every shot to-- to try and to go in. So, it felt a lot of pressure and I couldn't afford any lapses in concentration at all. So, it fell a hard of work but I'm very happy now. -There were a couple of days that he [unk]. That was the bogey at thir-- -Yeah. -bogey at 13th and then-- but that brings back with the birdie was important, wasn't it? -Yeah. Yeah. It's-- I didn't hit that by the tee shot in 13th but I drifted into the bunker and I didn't have much of an opportunity to get on the green and out on the bunker. It just started to go really high and I was hoping that he'd make it to the front but I didn't get anywhere near. I left myself with a 50 yard shot that I'm not very good at and I've been practicing a bit this week but it didn't really show. So, that was a pretty poor bogey but then I hit a really good fairway bunker shot in 14th that went to about 10 foot in the hole. I'll make this and then come to my chances. Thankfully, that went in. -And a nice regulation play up in the last [unk]. -Oh, my God. Yeah. Oh, well. I birdied on 16th. I thought it would give me a bit of room but it's a tricky hole on that last one and if you're not in the fairway off the tee, there's a lot-- lot of hazards to consider in where-- where do you put your next shot and Gary taught me into the right play at [unk]. It turned out okay. I missed to hit the third shot slightly but it-- it ended up in a fairway and in a pretty decent position, so. And then I have that long putt to two putt and I really didn't have a clue how hard I was hitting it. I just hope that it would turn out okay. I'm pretty sure the line was all right but I was shaking a bit by then. So, it's nice to see it finished just a few inches away. -Has it begin to sunken-- sinking what you have achieved here? -No. No. No idea. Yeah, not just yet. I think-- give me a few days to contemplate on-- on winning this. It's such a good field and in some way I've not really played well on that before. So, I don't know. It's a-- this is a surprise. -And you're-- and you're going home tonight. You won't be playing in Qatar? -No, I'm not playing in Qatar. Not yet. -Okay. We'll move in to some questions. Once again, raise your hands and we'll get the microphone to you. In this front, we'll start here please. -Hey Robert. How did you feel at the first tee? -Not as bad as I thought I was going to. I was-- I was awake quite early and I was a little nervous on the way here but I think chatting to Tiger briefly yesterday did-- did help. It would have been hard if that have been the first time I've met him on the first tee. I think I would have been struggling a little bit more and-- and to hear a solid drive down the first just-- just help me down pretty much right away. -Yes, Ben. -Congratulations. -Thank you. -When-- in those early stages, Tiger holds his monster putt. -Yeah. -He even did followed suit with a birdie. Were you thinking, "This guy is just insane. Whatever I do, he's gonna get one over me today."? -Yeah. I feel like I have to keep it uphold all day. He was-- the birdie that he made down at the second was-- was pretty cool. He had a tricky shot from under the tree and that probably should have got closer but it didn't really bounce through the fairway very well. He played an amazing putt. And I had-- I had nice shot on the-- while on the second, it was pretty close. But another good shot, that rough on the third and I needed that risk to keep pacing. Well, it was-- and then I did dropped a couple after that who gave me the space. -Yes, Joy, in the middle here. -Hey, Robert. You said yesterday that you idolized Tiger and worked at it. Out there today, were you trying to play but then you [unk] or other times when you were trying to impress him as well? -No, no. I was just-- I was perfectly prepared to let him do what every-- whatever he wanted. If he was gonna shot 8 or 9 in the par and beat me by miles and that would have following by me. I was just trying to hit decent shots and settling to the round okay. And-- but he was a pleasure to play with. He was really, really cool. -Jamie, please. -Did you expect with that so? Were you surprised that Tiger went off the hole by also quickly and the way that you did finished? -Yes and no. It's a tricky-- it's a tricky course. If you're in the rough, there's-- there's not many ways to attack flags and around the greens. It's-- it's tough as well. So, I was just focusing on trying to hit-- hit fairways and then hit-- hit my iron shots as good as I have in and give myself chances at birdies and both Tiger and me have struggled on occasions in a few holes and I'll manage to keep my ball in-- in the right position. I didn't put myself into too much stress until the last inches. I'm relieved. -Yes, Oliver. You got one? Next to you, Jimmy, please. -Congratulations. I mean-- -Thank you. -I knew you said that he was a pleasure to play with. -Yeah. -I just wonder if-- I mean does he-- do you feel he goes into a zone that can be quite unsettling to deal with sometimes? What were you conscious about at any point? -No, no, no. Not at all. No. He was-- he was just-- just playing his game and he was as focused as he always is and-- and I expected that. I watched him plenty of times and so-- -It's just a very [unk] brief-- quick followup. Are there a couple of times in the back 9 where you-- where your lead was cut? -Yeah. -I just wondered how you felt at those points. -It wasn't an awful lot that I could do about the bogey that I made on the 13th hole. It was just out in the positions. So, I have to accept that one but the 14th is a very, very tough hole. So, I was relieved that the tee shot went in the bunker and I got a great decent lie in the bunker. So, that was not far off as-- as being in good shape as in the fairway. So, I was in control of my second shot then and to birdie that hole turned in back around quickly for me. -Yes, Neil. -Hello. -[unk]. -Robert, you'll be known now as the guy who sort of Tiger Abu Dhabi. What do you think you're best known for on the European Tour or even before-- before today? -Not much. Probably guys been out here a long time and not really until last year in one tournament. -Yes. -You had far about there. -Hi, Robert. -Hi. -I have two parts. You said that these haven't really sunken yet but can you maybe should a bit lie on where these ranks and your greater achievements on the second part that you just jump in. Where do you see yourself going from here then? Do you hope Abu Dhabi be a spring board for Ryder Cup or-- -Well, the first one that I won last year was right now still feels as important because it's-- it was very, very hard to do and this one is special for its own reasons now. It's a-- it's was-- it's a bigger tournament and a better field and to play with Tiger today. I hope something that I would never forget. So, the two slightly separate memories for both are really, really good. -Yes. -Yeah. -Robert, if you needed a five at the last, do you think you would have to win? -Uh-huh. -Do you think it would have taken that shot on out of the hazard? -185. Probably, yeah. Probably. It was at all a 50/50 shot but the shot-- the line I had was-- it was very close to one of the larger rocks in front of me. I could have hit the ball okay but I was having to take it quite a long way right and it was up to carry quite a lot of the water. So-- and there was a chance that they would have click the rock on the way out. So, I maybe-- I'm about to tell you that on here. -David, please. -Robert, when-- when you're back at the driving range, what sort of thoughts did you have that would sustain you and sort of keep the-- the dream alive that you'd make it on the tour? I mean were you watching Tiger at anytime and then fantasize in your mind to just be playing with him and now on beating him? -No, I don't really know. I was playing just-- just local PGA events like old club pros do and I was trying to do my best that I know at that time really and it was a slim chance to play my way into some European Tour events through that route and that was my goal while I was doing that. I just-- to have some-- probably at that point, I was just thinking that I hope I get to play a few European Tour events in-- in my year of golf career. So, no grand plans. -Yes, Rex, on the side here. -Robert, it sounds like you were battling your nerves this morning pretty bad. Is that something that you normally do or was it just the circumstances of being with Tiger? And, if so, how would you rate this compared to some of your other big events? -Yeah, I was just-- I was just struggling because I was playing with Tiger. It was gonna be a pretty big deal. But, I managed to cope okay. I think it's-- things can [unk] out of control a little bit if you start off to hit a few bad shots early on and then things can be on top of you. But thankfully, I do solid shots down the first and then-- and a good wedge into the second and I felt like my-- my game there had earlier in the week was-- it's still turn up. So, that caught me down a lot. -Derek, please. -Hi, Robert. So, you started off this year with a couple of good results-- -Uh-huh. -and now this win. Did you resolve to do something this year and be known for something other than not much? -No, I felt like I got better towards the end of last year. I had a good tournament in Dubai with a lots of tournament that I hadn't really done well. I had in the past and put it well then and I feel like that was a little bit of a sort of confidence boost that I could play well on that type of course and this is similar and I haven't really played this course well in the past but I knew I got a little better and the experience in-- in Dubai made me believe that it-- they can happen. It didn't have to happen but it can happen. I can play these and go off from me on some tough courses and two good results in South Africa. It made me feel the form was still-- still improving from the end of last year. -Yes, David. -Robert, can you just remind us why do you have vision to wearing that hat and if this victory prompts a good sponsorship offer, will you think again? -I don't know. I've just not-- I do a lot of playing in hat everyday. I mean some-- sometimes the places we go where it's very hot and sunny. I might be tempted to wear vi-- visors sometimes but I just don't like doing it. So, no need on that thing. -Allister. -Hey, Robert. What is your-- what does this victory say to other guys who made it back in England working at driving range or club tour jobs? I mean how thin is the line or how thick is the line to crossover for those guys? -It seems a long, long, long way away when you are in that position. And if you look at it, that's one big leap. It's-- it doesn't seem possible but if you go along the right route and have a plan for it, then it is doable. It's not the easiest way to do it. Working at golf clubs sort of seems like you would be playing golf and a lot would be done. So, that makes it all good. -Yes, Joe, back over there. -Hey, Robert. Last year, you qualified for the US Open-- -Uh-huh. -and there was some bigger issues and things like that that's telling me that-- but now after this, you are going to get a lot more opportunities like that. So, are you prepared for that already? -I am. I say I'm ready for that. I mean, oh yeah. But, I think I'm gonna have five or ten year based on obsolete. I don't get any problem. -And which of the [unk] are you really looking forward too? I believe you qualify for Shanghai WGC and a couple of WGC events and maybe some majors. -Yeah, I don't-- I don't know. Well, what just getting in. -I mean in the 16th. -Yeah. As far as I'm aware of, I've got to qualify for the Open and the US Open and the US PGA. So, if this helps me get in, in some of those then that's-- that's fantastic. -Anymore questions? Why don't you jump in? Yes. Michael, please. -I just stepped in so I apologize of you but coming down at back 9. I mean throughout the day, you had three bird-- three bogeys and in 13th you had that bogey. -Uh-huh. -But, let me do to help you-- I mean the way Tiger was playing, it was just missing a lot of his drives and even at some of his chips were-- does that help you kind of overcome when you-- when you missed, you're saying, "Okay. Well, he's not on the best of his game. I can-- I can persevere." -Yeah, maybe. Maybe. I mean he had some-- he was left with some really tough chip shots that probably weren't doable. He hit some of the-- the pitch, wrong at the edge of greens and run 15 feet away and nothing else is good as he could have done it in some-- in some spots. So-- but, of course, he's like that. The rough is really thick here on the sides of the greens and the greens are firm. So, chipping on to the most is very, very difficult. -Yes, Paul. -Robert, what's the first impact that Tiger had on you when you're watching him on TV, I guess? -The first impacts of-- but I'm-- -Yes, just watch-- what were you watching and he became your hero. -I think I watch his very first tournament win and then obviously his first Masters when [unk]. I've watched pretty much everything he has done. So, yeah. Everybody is a fan of Tiger Woods. He's done Between-- over 98 tournaments and 14 majors. So, it's pretty impressive. -Yes, Michael. Just to your left. Paul, please. -Again-- I mean, is there something when you-- just a victory like this, is there something maybe 20 or 30 years you're gonna be seeing in the public and saying, "I beat Tiger Woods." I mean this-- -I hope so. Yeah. I hope so. -I mean do you think this could be the biggest-- will-- no matter what else you do, will this be the biggest thing that ever happens or do you-- -It could be. Yeah. It could be. Uh-huh. Yeah. -I mean just a follow up on that. I mean, you-- as you-- as I said, Tiger didn't have the best game today but what-- what did you think of his game and do you think he is coming back? -Oh, yeah. For sure, yeah. I'm quite bit of a golf swing gone. Our interest in that and I'm pretty convinced that he'll probably knows what he's doing and he's definitely playing better. Maybe he didn't playing as well as he would have liked to today but he's-- his stats probably in the week. He was-- his driving accuracy he was good. His greens and regulations was good and he was hitting the ball very well. So, there's no doubt about that and I think-- -Steven, far left here. -Thanks. -Yeah, just a word on the crowd. So, over the last few days, Robert, apparently the biggest crowd in this part of the world for a tournament has that-- -Okay. -carried you alarming encouragement? -Yeah, yeah. There's some crazy guys out there that hand some weird stuff but it was-- it was pretty funny on occasions but there I got-- I got a lot of support and it's quite surprising and nice here. -Laurence, please. Center up. -Robert, you said-- in the middle? For awhile, Sir. Okay. They said you were building an old swing. -Yeah, yeah. -What was-- what was Tiger swing that you might have spotted? -I don't know. He'll just play tricky shots that you have to face. It's hard to-- hard to fairways. I was a little-- hit a few crosswinds and they're just tough shots to hit and there's not that means anything particularly wrong with his swing at all. I think it's just-- it didn't quite go his way and it was my day, thankfully for me. -Yes, Neil. -Robert, when did you leave the club pro ranks and what was the last one you worked on? -I worked at the driving range which have now set up a golf academy in Leach Field. That was the last time I've worked. That was probably 2002-ish or something like that. But, I still-- it's still local to me. So, I still go down there and practice and now I've-- now, I've got my own academy down there. So, that's been pretty nice. -Yes, Carl. -Yeah, just two questions-- a quick one. First of all, were you guys put in a club between 7 and 8 and did that have set your rhythm in anyway? -No, we weren't. We were told to be at that position but we were-- we would sort of going out at the right pace. We have to-- I thought we waited. We had a good search for [unk] ball on-- -Five. -five. Yes. So, that took us at that position. We [unk] a little bit at that position before that and that drop us back into the five minute, so-- but we maintain our out phase after that so. -It didn't affect your rhythm. -No, no, no, no, no. -Those one of these-- while you're saying in here yesterday that you-- that you didn't know how you're gonna handle the first tee-- -Uh-huh. -and the second tee. And yet looking out of today, you handled it really well. Did you surprise yourself by the way in which you handle it? -Uh-huh. -What have you-- what have you taught yourself or what have you learned about yourself today? -How I did-- it doesn't get an awful lot Harder than playing with Tiger Woods. So, I guess [unk] be a major championship. I know I can handle that again. It sounds pretty nice, you know. Uh-huh. -Yes, Joy. -On a separate one, Robert, did you follow England's lost yesterday and what did you think of it? -No, no. I'm-- I'm not really a Cricket awful [unk] fan really. So, I didn't feel sorry on the news this morning but I'm not-- I can't comment on that, really. -But, you gave a lot of joy to a lot of Cricket fans who came today. -Well, that's-- -Do those guys go here? -well, that's pretty good then at least-- at least up to now. -William, please. -Robert, what's your idea of a good celebration? -I don't know. I can't really have a full nice at it tonight because I'm flying back at two o'clock but there will be one and I promise that. -Next speaker in the center here. -Robert, congratulations. -Thank you. -You said you have been looking at Tiger Wood's stats. Would you normally look at other players stats and see how they are playing when you got to play with them? -Yeah. I was interested in Tiger Woods in his stats this week. It was-- it's a tough course and he was-- I didn't-- I didn't look at yesterday's stats but the first two days, I think it was [unk] greens and regulation and just as it and the only thing to do once he finish playing a lot. I know he'll take two which I know something that I like about reading him. -Jimmy, please. -When you won the Italian Open, did you promise by yourself about [unk] and it never happened. -Yeah, it doesn't happen yet. -It was just [unk]-- -I talked about that last night actually. -Oh. -[unk]. I might do that when I see one. Uh-huh. -Yes, Jillian, faster please. -Roll it. Do you know who the [unk] who kept on trying to get a chance going with Rocky-- Rocky? -No, I don't know him. -You've never seen him before? -Thankfully not. -Yes, Sir. -That was a bit of an exchange between you and Tiger and some more on the tenth tee. What-- what you have in there? -Oh, yeah. That's embarrassing actually. There was-- there was a couple of Martials who gone off at the side of the tee and they were-- they're walking around on some-- I can't-- [unk] but is making quite bad noise. So, I thought that I need to get by on them for when I get ready to hit my shot. So, I heard the same thing and I just ashamed that there's a guy who's looking out but it was Tiger walking back there and I shout, "Stand still, please" and then they have been laughing out to me. I-- he just laughed at me fine but, yeah. I was ashamed on that. -And did he? -Yeah, he was all right. Yeah, he's all right. -Well, that's all right there. -Yes, in front of you. -Yeah, Y.E. Yang beat Woods in-- in 1999 and 2009 on Sunday at the PGA. He said he thought he really benefited from not having been a big name before because he didn't get drawn in to trying to outdo Tiger. I wonder if-- if you share at all to that. -I'm-- not that I really know him. I was just pretty determined to try and play the way I was playing and that hopefully without being too nervous so I could continue to hit some decent shots. But, he's such a good player that you-- if he decides to play his very, very best then I probably not gonna beat him. So, there's not much I can do. -Anymore for Robert? I think we're all done, Robert. Many, many congratulations. It's truly a wonderful performance. -Thank you. -Best of luck for the rest of the season. -Thank you.
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Tags:

Tiger Woods
US Open
European Tour
Ryder Cup
HSBC
Abu Dhabi
golf swing
tee shot
major championship

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