Rock tops big names, wins in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Robert Rock held off a series of major-tournament champions Sunday and won the European Tour's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

Rock, despite three final-round bogeys, shot 2-under-par 70 for a 72-hole total of 13-under 275. It is his second European Tour victory with the other coming last June in the Italian Open.

Rory McIlroy, the defending U.S. Open champion, was second at 12-under with 14-time major tournament winner Tiger Woods and 2010 U.S. Open titlist Graeme McDowell tied with Thomas Bjorn for third at 11-under.

Rock opened the fourth round tied for the lead with Woods and each was 2-under after birdies at Nos. 2 and 3 Sunday. But Woods staggered with back-to-back bogeys at the fourth and fifth holes, giving Rock the lead.

Rock added another birdie at the sixth hole and Woods kept in the hunt with a ninth-hole birdie after Rock bogeyed No. 8. But Woods had a bogey at 10 and pars the rest of the way for a fourth-round score of even par 72.

Rock played the back nine even with a bogey at 13 while birdies at 14 and 16 that built up enough for a cushion to allow for an 18th-hole bogey.

McIlroy shot 3-under 69 Sunday, including birdies at 13 and 18 but wasn't able to catch Rock.

McDowell and Bjorn earned their shares of third-place with 4-under 68s Sunday.