Robert Rock was unexpected 2012 Abu Dhabi winner

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship lived up to its ‘expected the unexpected’ motto in 2012 as the world number 121, Robert Rock, held off 14-time major winner Tiger Woods and US Open Champion Rory McIlroy to claim a stunning victory.

With Woods leading into the final day, Rock became one of just nine players in history to overhaul him, finishing one shot ahead of McIlroy and two ahead of Woods. The unheralded Englishman shot a final round of 70 to finish 13 under par for the tournament with a score of 275.

Walking away with a €347,024 winner’s cheque, Rock said: “I really can’t believe I have done that today. There was just so much pressure and it was such hard work, but I’m very happy now.”

The softly-spoken 34-year-old had successfully completed the fairy tale, as the underdog overcame the game’s giants to claim just his second tour victory.

And 2012 was marked by even more unexpected success as Spain’s Sergio Garcia sunk his first ever hole in-one on the 12th hole during the championship’s opening day, before compatriot Jose Manuel Lara and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell repeated the feat to complete a remarkable hat-trick of aces.

Away from the golf course, Tiger Woods embraced Emirati spirit on his first visit to Abu Dhabi by warming up for the Championship with a traditional ‘ayala’ dance.