ABU DHABI HSBC GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

November 9, 2024

Paul Waring

Yas Links

Quick Quotes

Q. Adding a 73 to your remarkable two-round total of 19-under par. How do you reflect on that one?

PAUL WARING: You've got to have an average day, haven't you. A little bit disappointed. I felt like could I have really moved forward today and put myself out of sight.

But four rounds of golf, you're always going to have an iffy run of holes, iffy round of golf, whatever you want to call it. If beginning of the week you'd given me a one-shot lead going into tomorrow I'd snatch your hand off. I'm trying to remain positive that I'm still in the lead, and looking forward to getting out there tomorrow.

Just wasn't at my best today. Putter felt a little bit jittery in total honesty. I thought the greens were a foot and a half quicker. They were just breaking a bit more than what I was reading the first few days, a bit dryer, a bit firmer, and I just struggled on them a little bit today.

Q. Having a big lead brings a different kind of pressure. What was it like?

PAUL WARING: I was absolutely fine the first few holes. Felt quite comfortable. I didn't play great down the first, missed it in the fairway bunker down the first, scrambled to par, holed a nice putt and birdied 2.

Hit it long on 3.

And then 4, I hit a lovely tee shot into that par 3 to eight-foot and three-putted from there, and that just made me go, ooohh, kind of put me on the back foot a little bit, and I didn't really recover in total honesty. I went into a bit of a defensive mode if you know what I mean.

I know we were talking about making a lot of birdies prior to this, but you're play in so many golf tournaments and that sort of thing you, and just have to manage your emotions and what's going on around you. I felt like I did that quite well but like I said, I was a bit disappointed I couldn't make a couple of birdies coming in and increase my lead a little bit.

Q. Tomorrow you have the chance to win and secure a PGA TOUR card and qualify for The Open. Give us your thoughts on that.

PAUL WARING: Yeah, looking forward to not sleeping now tonight. Thanks, Tim.

No, it's one of them, it's a game of golf tomorrow, isn't it. Game of golf in the sunshine. I'll be playing with Niklas again, great lad, good friend of mine. Looking forward to the challenge of it now.

Like I say, I feel like my bad golf is out of the way now and I can sort of try and free wheel as much as I can tomorrow and add them all up tomorrow afternoon and see where we all lie.