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Paul Waring carded 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 39-year-old Englishman recorded the lowest score of his DP World Tour career to get to 19 under and set the the record for lowest 36-hole score to par in Tour history, opening up a comfortable lead over first round leader Tommy Fleetwood, Johannes Veerman and Danish pair Thorbjørn Olesen and Niklas Norgaard.
Waring had eight birdies over his first 17 holes, also holing 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.
Veerman added a 67 to his first round 63 to get to 14 under from the first group of the day with Norgaard joining him after firing seven birdies in his bogey-free 65.
Fleetwood joined the leaders with his 68 before Waring surged ahead. Olesen then added his second eagle of the day at the last to join the chasing pack.
Meanwhile, Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy added a second 67 to sit on 10 under par. A triple-bogey on the par-3 17th undid much of his early good work, but he fought back with a birdie at the last to sit nine shots off the lead.
Waring, who is attached to Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai, said: “Since moving over to Dubai I’ve got very used to putting on these style of greens and I feel like I can read them well.
“My putter is behaving, which is often a weak spot for me, and I feel like Im swinging it well.
“Although I’ve got a nice lead at the moment, someone might have caught me by the time I tee off tomorrow. Everyone is still going to fire a lot of birdies so if I’m going to be involved on Sunday afternoon, I’ve still got to keep pushing. keep making birdies, and see where we end up on Sunday evening.”
For all the scores from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship click here.
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