‘Rocky’ delivers as Rory rues rules breach

Robert Rock exorcised any lasting Baltray demons to deny US Open winners Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Tiger Woods and capture the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

With the crowd chanting ‘Rocky’, ‘Rocky’, ‘Rocky’ the 33-year-old Englishman, who refuses to wear a cap, carded a final round 70 to win by a stroke with a 13-under par tally. McIlroy was left ruing a second round two-stroke penalty to snare second place with a 69 for a 12-under par score.

McDowell aced the par three 12th and hit a third shot from a bunker at the last that ricocheted off a grandstand to land just six feet from the flag for birdie in a round of 68 to share third place on 11-under par with Woods (72) and Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn (68).