England's Paul Waring came to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship just to extend his season but now the world of golf is his favorite after a life-changing Rolex Series win.
Waring entered the first of back-to-back DP World Tour play-offs ranked 48th in the season-long standings, initially hoping to stay within the top 50 to qualify for the DP World Tour Championship. The final event of the season was played in his hometown of Dubai.
An opening-round 64 followed by a course-record 61 gave him a five-shot lead on the star-studded leaderboard, before maintaining a one-shot lead despite a third shot on the final day at Yas Links , and his expectations also increased. -Round 73.
Waring birdied the final hole to cap off a memorable win
The 39-year-old showed nerves of steel with a bogey-free 66 on the final day to finish with a birdie to move two strokes ahead of Tyrrell Hatton and win his first title since 2018. ’s first global championship.
“It was a really easy day, wasn't it?” Waring said of his smooth victory. “It means a lot. I'm really proud of myself to be able to really take control like I did today.”
Waring competes for the 332nd time and wins his second DP World Tour title
The win jumps Waring to fifth in the Battle of Dubai standings and will earn him a lucrative PGA Tour card, with the top 10 finishers (who have not yet received exemptions) receiving a double next season. Membership.
Waring Check-in PGA Tour Tickets
The Birkenhead-born golfer has competed on the DP World Tour since qualifying at Q-school in 2007, but has only managed one win after battling injuries over several seasons. At the 2018 Nordic Masters, this was his 200th game.
A year later, Waring had six top-10 finishes and reached a career-high world ranking of No. 66, but struggled over the next two seasons until two runner-up finishes at the 2022 DP World Tour.
Prior to his win in Abu Dhabi, he finished in the top ten with joint third and sixth finishes in 2024, which earned him more than €1,400,000 – more money in one event than he did except for the 2019 DP The annual earnings per season outside of the World Tour are even more.
“I've knocked on the door a few times,” Waring explained. “I had a few seconds. I've been in and out a few times. It was great to cross the finish line again and be able to control it like I did, especially today.
Waring birdied the final hole to cap off a memorable win
“I thought I might have let it slip away [in the third round] But to stay ahead the way I'm playing, I know I'm not going to play like that two days in a row. I feel like I have another piece of gear that I need.
“I don't want to sound exaggerated, but I feel like my golf game has been in a good place this past year. I just haven't put it together yet. It's nice to put it together and get something like this championship.”
Waring responds to new pressures in Abu Dhabi
Hatton, Dubai Race leader Rory McIlroy and British pair Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Wallace were among the chasing pack on a thrilling final day in Abu Dhabi, with Waring finishing 17th He made a 40-foot birdie on the No. 5 hole and took advantage of the par-5 hole to end his victory.
“A lot of players and a lot of us in the media are questioning whether Waring can get over the line and win,” sky sports' said Wayne “Radar” Riley. “Not because of his talent, but because of the quality of the people behind him who are putting pressure on him.
“He really has nothing. This is a life-changing win for Waring. Not only financially, but it will move him up significantly in the world rankings and help him get back to the major leagues.
“It looks like getting him on the PGA Tour and playing in some big events in 2025, so there's a lot to look forward to for him. There's a lot of Cinderella stories happening in our tournament, This is one of those things, really.
“When you have your grandchild on your knee and they ask you 'What did you win?', he can say 'I won in Abu Dhabi, I won against the best player in the world'. Rory Mack Roy was out there and there were major champions everywhere and he beat them and won a real event.”
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Rory McIlroy close to victory in Dubai despite four DP World Tour 2024 runner-up finishes
A 'new chapter' in Waring's career
Waring now faces the prospect of splitting his time between the DP World Tour and PGA Tour next year, which may present logistical challenges but will provide golf opportunities that he is happy to accept.
“To be honest, I'm happy living in Dubai,” Waring said. “It's going to be a long trip, a long commute to the U.S. But I'm looking forward to it. It totally makes up for it.”
Waring later joined DP World Tour: “It [the PGA Tour] It's a new chapter for me, a new challenge and something new to see if I like it, see how much I like it.
“I love the DP World Tour, I absolutely love it. I love the people here, I love playing here, I have a lot of great friends, but now it's another chapter for me – especially in my At an advanced age.”
Waring will also be aiming for Ryder Cup qualification next year and is pushing himself to join Luke Donald's European squad after winning in Abu Dhabi, with Riley interested to see how he copes with competition on both tours.
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“it [winning] will push him [Waring] Forward,” Riley added. “We have to remember that 39 is not old in the modern game. Rewards are available and he can get them after all the work he has done.
“I've done it myself, playing PGA Tour Golf and DP World Tour, and it's very difficult. Is he going to do it a lot? He'd probably say no, but I'm sure he's going to play some of them. He has locked in now DP World Tour for two years, so he can go to the States and work full time, we’ll see.”
Who will win the Race to Dubai? Watch this week's DP World Tour Championship live on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage starts at 7am on Sky Sports Golf on Thursday. Get Sky Sports now or live stream DP World Tour and more.
