Paul Waring holds halfway lead in Abu Dhabi after course record

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.

Waring had eight birdies over his first 17 holes and holed his approach for eagle at the sixth, 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 new course record holder at Yas Links! 🤩

Take a bow @PaulWaringGolf 👏 pic.twitter.com/7lsNl77MA4

— Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (@ADGolfChamps) November 8, 2024

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 United Arab Emirates 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."

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."