Paul Waring held off a thrilling final-day charge from a host of star names to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship by two shots ahead of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton
Rory McIlroy missed out on a whopping £1.2million pot at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as Paul Waring clinched a sensational triumph. The veteran crafted his pathway to glory with a record-smashing 61 at Yas Links on Friday but felt the heat as his five-stroke advantage was whittled down to just one after Saturday’s round.
Despite admitting to nerves during his third outing, Waring was unshakeable on the final day, notching a spotless 66 to wrap up the tournament at 24-under-par, staving off McIlroy.
Waring, seizing only his second DP World Tour honor since his Nordea Masters victory over half a decade ago, had his mettle tested when Tyrrell Hatton caught up, only to answer with a stellar birdie from afar on the penultimate hole and sailing through the last for the win.
“It just means so much to so many other things that come with that win,” Waring reflected, now soaring to fifth in the Race to Dubai rankings and on track for a PGA Tour card by 2025. Overwhelmed by his success, he added, “I’m a bit taken aback right now.”
He knew there was something special about his shot on the 17th, saying confidently: “The one on 17, I could just see it tracking in the whole way and just knew I was going to hole it. As soon as it left the blade, I knew it was in.
“I’ll be honest, legs were shaking a little bit over that last putt. I just wanted to make sure that nothing else could happen and great to roll that one in on the last as well.”
McIlroy led the way with an early surge, birdieing four of his opening six holes, but Waring wasn’t let down, responding with consecutive gains. Matthew Jordan and Matt Wallace, both from England, narrowed their deficit to the lead, thanks to eagles at the seventh and 11th. However, McIlroy faltered with a short par miss at the seventh and missed an eight-foot birdie chance at the ninth, seeing his bid fall short.
Waring capitalised on a top-notch bunker shot with a gain at the seventh and added a birdie at the 10th to maintain his distance from the competitors. He fluffed a simple opportunity at 13 and a lip out at 14 followed.
Paul Waring celebrated the biggest win of his career at the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship (Altaf Qadri/AP) ( Image: The Associated Press)
After a stray drive at the 15th required him to scramble for par, Hatton was making moves up ahead, securing back-to-back birdies to finally catch Waring after two days and setting the clubhouse bar at 22 under.
The spotlight turned to Waring as he expertly sank a 40-footer on the 17th and then nailed a flawless drive at the last. Running his three-wood just past the green, he managed an up-and-down to clinch the title.
Hatton finished runner-up with a spectacular closing 64. McIlroy, alongside Olesen and Wallace, settled for third on 21 under. Heading into next week’s final event, McIlroy has increased his advantage over Thriston Lawrence in the Race to Dubai.
“I do feel in a good position,” he said confidently. Keeping an eye on the competition, he admitted: “I saw Thriston making a charge today, and I was keeping one eye on the leaderboard and looking at what he was doing. I saw he posted 20.
“Every shot counts at this moment in time, and I was glad to make the four at the last and at least give myself half a chance at this tournament this week, but also give myself a little bit more of a cushion going into Dubai next week as well.”
