Rock hits wall but is still in running

Golf:GIVEN THE red tape, visa problems and convoluted journey – involving a late transatlantic flight and a $1,000 taxi ride from New York down to Washington – which England's Robert Rock required simply to get to Congressional, it was only to be expected that the golfer, competing in his first US Open, would hit the wall at some stage.

Unfortunately for Rock, it happened midway through his second round. “I ran out of energy after nine holes, to be honest,” confessed Rock, who still managed to produce a second round 71 for a midway total of 141, one under, to ensure that he will extend his visit into the weekend.

Of his lack of energy, Rock remarked: “I couldn’t get the shots to go normal distances. I just didn’t have it in me. I was trying to play cautiously, just plodded it (along). But that happens when you’ve had the build-up I’ve had.”

Rock, who lost out in a play-off to then amateur Shane Lowry in the Irish Open in 2009, finally won his first European Tour title when capturing the Italian Open last week. However, there was to be no celebration: he spent the following days with his lawyers at the US Embassy in London endeavouring to get a visa to play in the US Open. He was only given the green light to play on Wednesday, then making a late flight and that taxi ride.

Of his US Open experience, despite the tiredness, Rock said: “I was expecting a harder test here. It has been scoreable. I’ve driven the ball nicely and hit some nice iron shots but I’ve not putted as well as last week. But I’m one under and I feel I should have been six or seven. Rory is playing some wonderful golf. It shows if you are not scared of it and play the course for the course’s sake rather than thinking this is the US Open and it’s meant to be difficult then you can do well.”