By Mathieu Wood
As if qualifying for a major on a whim wasn’t enough, Robert Rock could be on the verge of making more headlines and challenging for a miracle return to the DP World Tour winner’s circle.
In his first regular appearance on tour since retiring from competitive play at the end of 2022, the Englishman finished just five shots behind halfway leader and pre-tournament favourite Tyrrell Hatton at the Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo at the Belfry.
Until May, when Rock returned to professional golf by qualifying for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, his focus was on coaching, the junior tour and taking his teenage son to soccer games.
But after getting through 36 holes of qualifying at Walton Heath (without playing a practice round) and experiencing the thrill of competing again on one of American golf’s biggest stages, he realized something: He missed the tournament and wanted to play it again when he could.
He was hoping to earn a spot in the British Open in July, but ultimately failed to make the final qualifier after making the regional qualifiers. When he received the invitation to the British Masters, he finally got the opportunity he had been waiting for.
“After playing the U.S. Open a few weeks ago, I started wanting to play a few more tournaments and I’m having some changes in my life that might give me more time at the end of the year,” he told DP World Tour on Friday after shooting a three-under 69 in the second round to finish at five under.
“So, I thought it would be good to try and play some tournaments, but I didn’t know what I could achieve. I didn’t make the Open, so that was disappointing.
“I requested an invite but I knew my chances were slim because I wasn’t in the race much and there were many other deserving candidates, but thankfully they agreed last Saturday.”
Still, you have to take advantage of your opportunity and make the most of it, something Locke barely manages to do.
“My back wasn’t in great shape last week so I thought about calling David Williams (tournament director) and saying, ‘Mate, don’t take it too seriously because I’m really struggling’.
“But I managed to get better, practiced a little bit, and I played well.”
𝐑𝟏:70 (-2)
𝐑𝟐:69 (-3)@RobertRock_Golf Currently ranked T11, this is his first time to make the cut in a regular tour in the past two years! 🙌#BetfredBritishMasters https://t.co/J8gZR8i7ff pic.twitter.com/Nr6hPKFvsj— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) August 30, 2024
Rock has a partnership with The Belfry, the famous Ryder Cup venue that hosted the Junior British Masters earlier this month – a premier event on the Robert Rock Junior Golf Tour (open to junior golfers aged 18 and under).
But his connection to the course dates back to the beginning of his DP World Tour career, when he played his first tournament here, the Benson & Hedges International Open.
He has won twice on tour since then, most memorably defeating Tiger Woods to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2012, and this week he will make his 467th appearance.
“It’s great to be on tour again,” Rock said. “Especially at The Belfry. I’ve been coming here for almost 30 years. I’ve done all my PGA training here. I’ve done a lot of coaching here.
“I played my first game here and from there I started playing 466 games, this will be the 467th, so it’s great to be back at The Belfry.”
What a great day for our British Masters champions to be able to attend the official @british_masters Pro-Am @TheBelfryHotel. Thank you so much @DPWorldTour Let this happen. Have a great day Ellie, Vikram and Seva @CallawayGolfEU @PGA @RobertRock_Golf @nathaywoodgolf pic.twitter.com/3W56TBwOVY
— Rob Rock Junior Tour (@robrockgolftour) August 28, 2024
Rock has always been a well-respected figure among players and fans, and that was on display again Friday when he posed for photos with fans young and old behind the 18th green.
But while he was pleased with his performance so far this week, his immediate thoughts after the game were on his son David and his performance in the EFL Chesterfield Academy game.
“He just signed a two-year contract with their academy,” Roque said.
“He’s actually going to be promoted very soon. So it’s a big move for him because he’s only 16.
“He passed his GCSEs last week so it was a nervous morning for me. He passed all of them which was a relief and the fact that he worked really hard so he needed this to continue his football career.
“He's starting a new sport, which is great, so I want to be home as much as possible to help him achieve that.”
But it wasn’t just his son that Locke lent a helping hand to.
The 47-year-old has a successful coaching career, supporting DP World Tour pro Richard Mansell and Solheim Cup major championship star Georgia Hall.
“I do a lot of coaching,” he said. “A few years ago, I had about 20 players at a tournament. Now it's just two tour players.”
“But I do some coaching for members at Wentworth, I do some coaching at Belfry, and I also do online coaching which is very convenient, so I’m busy.”
Judging by what Rock has accomplished in his limited return to action, he needs no guidance.
That leaves the question: What’s next for Rock after this week ends?
He responded: “I considered going to the DP World Tour Qualifying School, but the requirements of the Tour School were a bit too high for me.”
“It's a matter of time, of course, but it also depends on how many rounds you play. I don't know how I'm going to feel after four rounds this week. It's going to be pretty sore (physically) at the end. My back hurts after every round and I haven't played four rounds in a while, so we'll see.
“My skills are not bad, and with some practice I think I'll be pretty good, but you have to put in the time, and that means playing a lot. For a less consistent defender, it's really not worth it.”
“So, I'm not sure (about touring schools). I'll have to evaluate that.”
For now, Rock is just enjoying performing in front of a huge and enthusiastic hometown crowd at a venue that means so much to him. Who knows what this weekend will bring.
“Today (Friday), I had two of the best at-bats I’ve had in a long time,” he said.
“So, they gave me a little bit of hope that I could actually still hit some shots and my putting was better than it was before (he stopped), which is typical of this tournament.
“But I don't care why. It makes the rounds more fun.”