Paul Waring started the day with a five-shot lead at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship but made just one birdie and two bogeys on Saturday to close with a 73 and see his lead reduced to one-shot at 18-under.
“You’ve got to have an average day, haven’t you?” said the Englishman. I’m a little bit disappointed – I felt like I could have put myself out of sight but four rounds of golf, you’re always going to have a bit of an iffy run of holes, an iffy round of golf. If beginning of the week you had given me a one-shot lead going into tomorrow, I’d have snapped your hand off.
“I’m trying to remain positive that I’m still in the lead, looking forward to getting out there tomorrow.
“I wasn’t at my best today, felt a little bit jittery in total honesty, I felt the greens were a foot-and-a-half quicker, they were breaking a bit more than what I was reading. I just struggled on them a little bit today.
“I was absolutely fine for the first few holes. Four I’ve hit a lovely tee-shot and three-putted and that just put me on the back foot a little bit. I didn’t recover in total honesty. I went into a bit of a defensive mode – you’re playing to win golf tournaments and you have to manage your emotions and what’s going on around you.
“It’s a game of golf tomorrow in the sunshine – I’m looking forward to the challenge of it now. I feel like my bad golf is out of the way now.”
Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard lies in solo second place at 17-under after a third-round 69 marred by a single bogey.
“Feeling good because the game was not nearly as good as the first two days,” he said. “So I definitely had to be patient and made my first bogey all week on hole nine, which annoyed me quite a bit,” said Norgaard.
“But didn’t try to force birdies or anything, just tried to do the same thing over and over again, and I’m very satisfied with today.
“Today playing in the final group I would have been so nervous if I had not tried that before. It’s funny how it takes you, because a year ago, I really felt like a guest at these tournaments, and now I feel more at home.”
First-round leader Tommy Fleetwood signed for a 71 and lies in a share of third place at 15-under alongside Ireland’s Shane Lowry who fired an eagle at the par-5 2nd as well as five birdies and one bogey for a 66.
Also tied in third place are Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen who closed with a 71 and Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg who shot a 68. Both made three bogeys.
DP World Tour rankings leader Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland lies five shots off the lead after signing for a 69 featuring a double bogey at the par-5 18th.
