Change of caddie sparks immediate response as Rock takes share of lead
In his first round with Andy Forsyth on the bag, Rock started the Andalucian Open with a five-under-par 65 in Malaga yesterday and shares the lead with fellow Englishman Jamie Elson and Swedes Johan Edfors, Oscar Floren and Rikard Karlberg.
The 33-year-old had been with Jamie Lane for years, but told the Tour website: “Things had got a little bit stale. We got on fine, but nothing was really happening and a change was probably the easiest option.”
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Hide AdHe stood level par with eight holes to play, but then came five birdies for a front nine of 29.
Rock has had three runners-up finishes in his career and even walked away with the winning cheque at the 2009 Irish Open because it was amateur Shane Lowry who beat him in a play-off.
Elson was on the same winning Walker Cup team as Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald, but 10 years on does not have a full Tour card.
Edfors is waiting to add to his three wins during the 2006 season while Karlberg is playing on an invitation despite having earned over £210,000 for third place in the Singapore Open. Those winnings did not count towards the Order of Merit because he was a member of the Challenge Tour and failed to play in the required seven events there.