Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship set for thrilling finish
Paul Waring's five shot lead was cut to one on moving day at Yas Links
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is poised for a thrilling finish on Sunday, with a star-studded field closing in on leader Paul Waring at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.
The Dubai-based Englishman, seeking just a second DP World Tour title, began the third round with a comfortable five-stroke lead, thanks to a record-setting 11-under-par 61 on Friday at Yas Links.
However, that cushion has all but vanished, as the 39-year-old struggled with a one-over-par 73 in round three – one of only two players among the top 28 to shoot over par – leaving the door ajar for the chasing pack.
Hot on his heels is Niklas Norgaard, just one shot behind at 17-under after a steady three-under-par 69. Past champions Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood are in the mix two shots further back, alongside Dubai resident Thorbjørn Olesen and Sebastian Soderberg
Waring joked after his round: “You've got to have an average day, haven't you?
“I'm a little bit disappointed – I felt like I could have put myself out of sight but four rounds of golf, you're always going to have a bit of an iffy run of holes, an iffy round of golf. If beginning of the week you had given me a one-shot lead going into tomorrow I'd have snapped your hand off.
“I'm trying to remain positive that I'm still in the lead, looking forward to getting out there tomorrow.
“I wasn't at my best today, felt a little bit jittery in total honesty, I felt the greens were a foot-and-a-half quicker, they were breaking a bit more than what I was reading. I just struggled on them a little bit today.
“I was absolutely fine for the first few holes. Four I've hit a lovely tee-shot and three-putted and that just put me on the back foot a little bit. I didn't recover in total honesty. I went into a bit of a defensive mode – you're playing to win golf tournaments and you have to manage your emotions and what's going on around you.
“It's a game of golf tomorrow in the sunshine – I'm looking forward to the challenge of it now. I feel like my bad golf is out of the way now.”
World No.3 Rory McIlroy, who could wrap up sixth Race to Dubai title this week, sits five shots off the lead at 13-under-par, though his round could have looked a lot brighter had it not been for a troublesome finish for the second day running.
Yesterday, a triple bogey at the 17th derailed the four-time Major winner’s surge up the leaderboard. Today, it was the 18th that cost McIlroy dearly.
After driving into the water, he found a bunker on his fourth shot and closed out with a double-bogey seven.
Despite the late stumble, the 35-year-old remains optimistic, believing he’s still in the hunt for his first Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship title.
“Absolutely,” replied McIlroy when asked if there was a low round out there for him on Sunday.
“I bogeyed the first today and doubled the last but in between, there was some really good golf, same as yesterday.
“I just need to put it all together and play the way I've been playing and keep the big mistakes and big numbers off my card and if I can do that and post a score, you never know.”
The final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC gets underway on Sunday, with Waring, Norgaard and Lowry last off at 11:20am.