Waring holds huge halfway lead after course record

Stimpmeter · November 8, 2024, 6:00pm

Paul Waring shot a course-record 61 at Yas Links to open up a five-shot lead at the halfway stage of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The lowest round of the Englishman’s DP World Tour career saw him reach 19 under and move five clear of overnight leader Tommy Fleetwood, American Johannes Veerman and Danish pair Thorbjørn Olesen and Niklas Norgaard.

South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence shared 10th position on 11 under after a 66 that included an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys.

Waring had eight birdies over his first 17 holes and holed his approach for eagle at the 6th, but saved the shot of the day for the 18th.

After a wayward drive became embedded he was given a free drop but could still only chop his second back onto the fairway.

From 250 yards he hit a perfect fairway wood which fed down to four feet from the pin to leave a routine birdie putt.

Waring, whose 19 under halfway total is the lowest in relation to par in DP World Tour history, said of his exploits on the 18th: “That was the best shot I’ve ever hit in my life to be honest.

“The tee shot on 18 was a little bit peculiar for me because I had been hitting it great all day, so even over that three-wood I felt like could I hit a solid shot into the part of the green and just hit a little draw.

“In total honesty I’m just trying to keep going, keep making birdies. My caddie made the remark a few days ago, we played a little bit golf at Trump over in Dubai and we played the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates as well and for those two rounds, I actually had 50% birdies.

“We were having a bit of a laugh yesterday [Thursday] because I had nine birdies so that was 50%, so he said today, right, every round, you’ve got to better 50% birdies.

“Obviously feel great, swinging it great. Putter is behaving. That’s I’d say a weak spot for me now and again but I’ve done a lot of work on it, and since moving over to Dubai I’m very used to these style of greens as well.

“I’ve got a nice lead at the moment but even before I tee off tomorrow, someone might have caught me. So if I’m going to be involved on Sunday afternoon I’ve still got to keep going the way I am.”

Norgaard and Veerman had fared best of the early starters to reach 14 under, with rounds of 65 and 67 respectively.

Olesen, whose last visit to the UAE saw him win an eighth DP World Tour title at the Ras Al Khaimah Championship, had a turbulent 67 that included a double-bogey, a bogey, four birdies and two eagles – the second of which came when he pitched in at the last.

“Got a couple of bad breaks which I probably deserved,” said Olesen. “It was nice to birdie 16 and get the eagle on 18. Very nice way to finish.

“It was a bit of a battle there on the back nine. I probably got what I deserved, and that’s what golf does. You get some good breaks but then you know you’re probably going to get some bad breaks, also.”

Fleetwood, who had equalled the previous course record with a 62 on Thursday, added a 68 as he bids to win in Abu Dhabi for the third time, while Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy’s second consecutive 67 was marred by a triple-bogey six on the short 17th that left him nine off the pace.

“I played quite nice up to that point and I feel like I hit a nice shot into 17, just trundled into the bunker,” McIlroy said.

“There wasn’t a lot of sand where the ball was and I just sort of made a mess of it from there, but bounced back well to birdie the last.”

– Edited report from DP World Tour website

Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

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