England’s Paul Waring shot a par 73 and held a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Abu Dhabi Championship on Saturday as Ireland’s Rory McIlroy continued to struggle.
A day after setting a course record 61, Waring, 39, was the only player in the top 29 to post an over-par score for an 18-under-par total of 198.
Rising Dane Niklas Norgaard Moller shot a third-round 69 to cut Waring’s five-shot lead overnight.
World number three Rory McIlroy dropped a big number in his final holes for the second day in a row, this time a double bogey on the par-5 18th after an errant tee shot found water on the left side , to sit five shots from the lead.
Friday, the Northern Irishman made a triple bogey on the par 3 17th.
“If you had given me a one-stroke lead going into the final round at the start of the week, I would have ripped your hand off,” said Waring, who is seeking his first victory since the 2018 Nordea Masters.
“A little disappointed because I felt like I could have really pushed forward today and gotten out of sight.
“You must be having an average day, right?”
Three shots behind, Irishman Shane Lowry (66), winner of the 2019 tournament, was tied for third place with Englishman Tommy Fleetwood (71), Dane Thorbjoern Olesen (71) and Swede Sebastian Soederberg (68) at 15 under par.
With the wind picking up towards the afternoon and the greens becoming firmer and faster, conditions were challenging after two benign days.
Waring took advantage of the conditions with rounds of 64 and 61 and started the day at 19 under.
An early birdie extended his advantage, but a three-putt bogey on the par-3 fourth hole ripped his nerves, after which he struggled to get his speed and line with the putter.
– ‘Unexpected error’ –
British Masters champion Norgaard made his first bogey of the tournament on the ninth hole, but three birdies on the back nine kept him in the hunt for a second title this year.
“Very happy with today,” said the 32-year-old, who is almost guaranteed a PGA Tour card next season as one of the top 10 players in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings .
A disappointed McIlroy closed with a three-under-par 69 and fell to a tie for 13th at 13-under-par 203.
He was still confident of getting his hands on the trophy in Abu Dhabi for the first time in his career.
“Playing the last two holes at two on two days in a row is not ideal. It cost me a few strokes there,” said McIlroy, who is looking to capture his sixth DP Order of Merit crown World Tour next week in Dubai and to match the legendary Spaniard Seve Ballesteros.
“The leaders weren’t coming out of it, which was good and I was making a little charge. And yeah, just one mistake, that drive on 18, and with that, I was playing so against the wind.
“It was an untimely mistake, like yesterday on the 17th, and I dug myself a little hole to get out of it, but depending on what the leaders are doing, I can still approach tomorrow with the feeling of having half a -chance. .
“I just need to put it all together and play like I did and avoid the big mistakes and big numbers on my card and if I can do that and post a score, you never know. “
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