Golf: Dubai resident Waring clinches Abu Dhabi title

Englishman Paul Waring birdied the last two holes on Sunday for a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to win the Abu Dhabi Championship by two shots.

The 39-year-old, a resident of Dubai, delivered the hammer blow to the chasing pack with a 41-feet birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole at Yas Links Golf Club. He then hit a brilliant three-wood second shot to set up a birdie on the last to clinch the 9 million dollar (8.4 million euro) tournament.

At 24-under par total, Waring was two shots ahead of English compatriot Tyrrell Hatton (64). World No 3 Rory McIlroy (64) finished in a three-way tie for third place at 21-under alongside Matt Wallace (63) and Thorbjoern Olesen (66).

Waring, who shot a course-record 61 on Friday en route to a new European tour 36-hole scoring record of 19-under par, began Sunday one ahead of Dane Niklas Norgaard Molle, and birdied the first two holes.

As the pursuers made plenty of birdies, Waring, the world No. 229, kept making steady pars and he raced ahead on the closing stretch.

It was Waring's second win on the tour, coming nearly six years and three months after the 2018 Nordea Masters.

He pocketed 1.53m dollars million and should rise move to 101 in the world rankings on Monday.