Paul Waring wins 19th Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

English golfer Paul Waring lifted the winners trophy at the 19th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, held over four days at the prestigious Yas Links course on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Waring's impressive performance, finishing 24 strokes under par, earned him the title and a grand prize of $1.53 million, alongside 1,500 Race to Dubai points.

Waring’s win was secured on the final day of the tournament, where he scored six strokes under par to clinch the top spot.

He outpaced fellow English golfer Tyrrell Hatton, who finished in second place with a total of 22 strokes under par. In a tightly contested field, three golfers – Thorbjørn Olesen from Denmark, Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland, and Matt Wallace from England – tied for third place with 21 strokes under par.

The event, organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) and the European Tour, is one of the two qualifying tournaments for the prestigious DP World Tour Championship, which concludes the season next week in Dubai.

It also marked the fourth event in the Rolex Series for this season. The tournament attracted 70 of the best players of the season, with the top 50 in the Race to Dubai standings qualifying for the DP World Tour Championship.

The coronation ceremony was attended by prominent figures, including Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and other dignitaries, such as Sheikh Fahim bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Emirates Golf Federation, and Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of ADSC.

The competition attracted large crowds throughout its four-day run, with millions more watching the event on television.

Al Awani emphasised that ADSC’s commitment to growing the sport in Abu Dhabi and the wider Middle East is reflected not only in hosting top-tier events but also in implementing academic programs designed to make sports, including golf, an integral part of everyday life in the region.

Waring, who won the tournament for the first time, expressed his happiness with the victory, calling the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship one of the toughest and most prestigious events in the region.

"I'm happy to win the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for the first time. The competition was intense, and it's an incredible feeling to come out on top," he said.

With Waring’s victory, he has further solidified his standing on the Race to Dubai leaderboard. The championship also marks a crucial moment for players vying for the top spots in the DP World Tour, with the final tournament of the season set to take place in Dubai next week.