Tommy Fleetwood has seen his course record at the Abu Dhabi Championship broken just one day after he set it.
The Englishman had shot a 10-under par 62 on the opening day to equal the best ever score set on the course.
Waring had sat in joint third place after the first day – he has now surged into the lead[/caption]
He led the pack after the first round, leading nearest rivals Thorbjorn Olesen and Johannes Veerman by one.
However, Fleetwood found himself both without the lead and without the course record anymore by the close of the second day.
Both had been taken from him by his compatriot Paul Waring, who went round in 61, taking his overall score to 19 under.
Waring has one European Tour win to his name, after he won the 2018 Nordea Masters.
His best ever finish at a major came back in 2008 when he recorded a T19 at The Open.
But out at the Abu Dhabi Championship, he has opened up a five-point lead on Fleetwood, Olesen, Veerman and Niklas Norgaard.
Waring hit an impressive nine birdies and an eagle on the course – and he certainly saved the best for last.
On the 18th hole, he managed to recover from a poor drive which led him forced to take a free drop which he shot back onto the fairway.
The real genius came with his third shot as he managed to set up a birdie putt after he let fly in an inch-perfect shot from over 500m out.
And the 39-year-old could not hide his delight as he admitted he had stunned even himself.
Fleetwood had his own impressive shot on the 18th as he broke the record[/caption]
But Waring outdid him on the second day, stealing the course record for himself[/caption]
“That was the best shot I’ve ever hit in my life to be honest,” he said.
“The tee shot on 18 was a little bit peculiar for me because I had been hitting it great all day, so even over that three-wood I felt like could I hit a solid shot into the part of the green and just hit a little draw.
“In total honesty I’m just trying to keep going, keep making birdies. My caddie made the remark a few days ago, we played a little bit golf at Trump over in Dubai and we played the Fire Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates as well and for those two rounds, I actually had 50 per cent birdies.
“We were having a bit of a laugh (on Thursday) because I had nine birdies so that was 50 per cent, so he said today, right, every round, you’ve got to better 50 per cent birdies.
“Obviously feel great, swinging it great. Putter is behaving. That’s I’d say a weak spot for me now and again but I’ve done a lot of work on it, and since moving over to Dubai I’m very used to these style of greens as well.
“I’ve got a nice lead at the moment but even before I tee off tomorrow, someone might have caught me. So if I’m going to be involved on Sunday afternoon I’ve still got to keep going the way I am.”
Things came undone for McIlroy somewhat on the second day as he left himself an uphill task[/caption]
Three-time Abu Dhabi champion Fleetwood could only manage a 68 on the second day, forced to watch his record disappear.
Meanwhile, Irishman Rory McIlroy is chasing a sixth Race to Dubai title and he needs to finish either first or second at the Yas Links to do so.
However, a run of mistakes left him nine shots off the lead at the halfway point – although he has not given up hopes of a recovery.
“I’d like to see the course get a bit firmer,” he reflected ahead of the last two days.
“There were a couple greens today that got a bit shinier and a little trickier. Yeah, I need the golf course to firm up a little bit and toughen up a little bit to have a chance.
“It will be up to me. I shot 63 on the Saturday in Dubai this year (at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic), and I’m going to need something similar if not lower, seeing what the scores are like to give myself a chance going into Sunday.
“But I know it’s out there. I was seven-under through 13 holes today. So it is possible.”
