McDowell steals Rock's thunder with most dramatic finish in Abu Dhabi
England’s Robert Rock did what he thought was impossible today, beating Tiger Woods head to head and grabbing only his second victory in 227 European Tour events.
The most dramatic finish, however, came from Ireland Graeme McDowell. He holed-in-one on the 12th – Sergio Garcia and Jose Manuel Lara did it in the first round – chipped in on the next and then closed with two more birdies.
That does not tell the full story. McDowell thinned his third shot at the 18th and, after hitting the grandstand behind the green, the ball rebounded some 30 feet to within six feet of the flag.
Like Rory McIlroy, though, McDowell was left to rue something earlier in the week. He went in the water and double-bogeyed the 17th on day one after his driver broke.
Woods heads back home a year after his last trip to the Middle East ended with him being given a European Tour fine for spitting.
He did it again by the ninth tee and television commentator Mark Roe said: “I almost feel like I should apologise – it’s a horrible habit. I wish he would stop that. It’s the one thing I don’t like about him - everything else I can cope with.”
Last month the authorities in Abu Dhabi announced that they would be imposing spot fines for spitting, throwing cigarette butts or dropping chewing gum on the city streets.
