Paul Waring was put off by a spectator's "nasty" outburst during the second round of the DP World Tour Championship on Friday, leaving the English golfer seething after being interrupted mid-swing.
Fresh off his triumph at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Waring was in fine form at Dubai's season-ending event, having opened with a stellar four-under-par 68.
He continued his impressive performance on Friday, notching up four birdies on the front nine, just one stroke behind the leader Antoine Rozner. However, his near-flawless run was marred when he was heckled during his backswing on the approach to the 10th green.
An apparent West Ham fan shouted "Come on you Irons!" and the sudden disruption caused Waring to mishit, resulting in his ball falling short and landing in a bunker. Despite his evident irritation, Waring managed to maintain composure as he handed his club back to his caddie, likely holding back his frustration.
The incident also caught the Sky Sports commentary team off guard, with Wayne Riley remarking from the course: "That was nasty, right on the downswing."
"That was nasty" ??????
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) November 15, 2024
A shout from a fan during Waring's backswing on his 70-yard approach came a bit too early and seemingly put the Englishman off ?????? pic.twitter.com/idENU394qP
Playing at his home club on the Earth Course, Waring had the support of numerous friends and family members in attendance.
Initially, Riley asserted that it was one of his followers who had made the premature shout. However, it was later clarified that the heckler was not part of Waring's party but another gallery member who reportedly made a swift exit after the outburst.
The interruption clearly rattled Waring, who failed to recover from the sand and subsequently made his first bogey of the day. After regaining his composure, the Abu Dhabi HSBC champion managed three consecutive pars before clawing one back with a birdie at the par-five 14th.
Despite this brief respite, Waring once again lost control of the tournament as he experienced a disastrous run. After a bogey-free opening nine, the 39 year old added three consecutive bogeys from holes 15 to 17, along with his first of the day at the drama-filled 10th.
He managed to halt the downward spiral on his final hole of the day at the 18th, where the Englishman safely made par at the par-five, leaving him five-under-par for the tournament.
Waring entered the weekend four shots behind the 36-hole leader, Rozner, in an attempt to secure his second consecutive playoff victory in the Middle East.
