Dubai's Waring remains positive despite conceding cosy lead at Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Mixed bag for Tommy Fleetwood as he aims to win a third title in the Rolex Series event

By KT Golf

Published: Sat 9 Nov 2024, 11:58 PM

Paul Waring (Eng) admitted feeling a ‘little disappointed’ after his comfortable overnight lead was reduced to just a single shot as he headed into the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links Abu Dhabi.

The Dubai resident and Jumeirah Golf Estates member started the day five clear but a one-over 73 left the door ajar for the chasing pack.

Waring's 18 under-par total leaves him one clear of Niklas Nørgaard, with Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Thorbjørn Olesen and Sebastian Söderberg tied for third on 15 under.

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Waring found a bunker with his opening tee shot and had to scramble par from eight feet at the first, but looked to have settled down as he birdied the par-five second and hit his tee shot to eight feet at the short fourth.

However, he ran his birdie attempt five feet past and missed the return, before missing birdie putts at the next nine holes. Finding sand off the tee at the 14th proved costly as he failed to save par from 15 feet.

Waring had produced the shot of his life with a fairway wood to inside four feet at the last on Friday, but 24 hours later ended up in a greenside bunker and had to settle for a 15th par of the day.

On completing his round he said to the media: “You've got to have an average day, haven't you? A little bit disappointed. I felt like could I have really moved forward today and put myself out of sight.

“But four rounds of golf, you're always going to have an iffy run of holes, iffy round of golf, whatever you want to call it. If at the beginning of the week you'd given me a one-shot lead going into tomorrow I'd snatch your hand off,” he added.

“I'm trying to remain positive that I'm still in the lead, and looking forward to getting out there tomorrow. I wasn't at my best today. Putter felt a little bit jittery in total honesty. I thought the greens were a foot and a half quicker.

“They were just breaking a bit more than what I was reading the first few days, a bit dryer, a bit firmer, and I just struggled on them a little bit today,” Waring said.

Nørgaard dropped his first shot of the week at the ninth in his round of 69 and admitted that he now feels at home in events of this stature as he chases his second DP World Tour title and first on the Rolex Series.

It was a mixed bag for Dubai resident Fleetwood, who recorded four birdies and three bogeys in his round of 71, as he aims to take a third Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title following his victories in 2017 and 2018.

Major winner and 2019 Champion Lowry got off to a fast start with an eagle on the second and was six under at the turn before recording seven consecutive pars and finishing bogey, and birdie to sign for a 66.

Meanwhile, another Dubai resident Thomas Detry recorded the low round of the day, opening with six birdies in a row and adding four more after the turn in his round of 62, one short of Waring's course record on Friday.

Round Three Scores (Par 72)

Waring (Eng) 64. 61. 73. 198. N.

Norgaard (Den) 65. 65. 69. 199.

Lowry (Ire) 69. 66. 66. 201.

Soderberg (Swe) 66. 67. 68. 201.

Oleson (Den) 63. 67. 71. 201.

Fleetwood (Eng) 62. 68. 71. 201.

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