"Best shot I've ever hit in my life"- DP World Tour star Paul Waring shoots historic rounds at Abu Dhabi HSBCÂ Championship
Paul Waring leads the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at 19 under par. The Englishman set a new Yas Links record with a 11-under 61 score in the second round.
The score is also the best of his DP World Tour career. His third shot on the 18th hole, a 3-wood from the fairway 250 yards from the pin, had a lot to do with the result. Waring hit it over the water to the left of the fairway and managed to leave the ball just three feet from the hole.
This is what Waring had to say about the shot after his second round performance (via ASAP Sports):
"That was the best shot I've ever hit in my life to be honest."
Waring is a 39-year-old player with just one win in 13 seasons and 331 starts on the DP World Tour. However, he has ambitious goals for the end of the season and made this clear in his interview, saying:
"It's very easy to say, 'yeah, I want to play next week', and I do want to play next week. But there are bigger things in my career that I do want to go and do. And, as I said yesterday, top 25 spots get an Open spot next year, that's something I want to try and achieve. And two good weeks could get me somewhere near a PGA Tour card."
He added:
"I know that's a big ask and I'm going to require a couple of thirds or a couple of seconds or something like that but, we are still playing golf at the end of the day. Feel like I'm playing well,so, why not have those goals?"
Waring carded an eagle and nine birdies (no bogeys) in the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. A day earlier, he had nine birdies and a bogey on the second hole. He now has one eagle, 18 birdies and no bogeys over his last 34 holes.
A look at Paul Waring's chances of earning his PGA Tour card
Paul Waring entered the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 48th place on the Race to Dubai, 593.71 points behind Romain Langasque. Langasque is currently in the group of 10 players vying for a PGA Tour card for next season.
With a five-shot lead with 36 holes to play, Waring's chances of a strong finish (or even victory) have increased significantly. The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship awards 9,000 points for the Race to Dubai, so the winner will receive approximately 850 points. As such, a win would put Waring close to or in the group of 10 players who will play on the PGA Tour next season.
However, other factors will influence the final outcome. These include the finishes of the other players who are also in contention and how Waring performs at the Tour Championship, the final event of the season.