Warren sinks 40-foot putt worth around $100,000 on the last green
Marc Warren holed a 40-foot birdie putt worth around $100,000 on the final hole to celebrate his return in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with a top-five finish.
The 39-year-old, who had played in the first 13 editions of the event before being forced to sit out the last two, finished with a flourish in the company of two-time winner Tommy Fleetwood.
Warren, who won the Austrian Open last summer to regain his seat at European golf’s top table after losing his full playing privileges following a slump in form, had already birdied the 16th before converting his profitable putt at the last.
That late burst saw him close with a 71 for an 11-under-par total, finishing in a tie for fifth in the $8 million Rolex Series behind winner Tyrrell Hatton.
“Yeah, very happy,” admitted Warren afterwards. “My attitude was really good today as I stayed patient.
“My main goal at the start of the day was to try and stay as patient as I possibly could, whether I made a good or bad start. I made a couple of good up and downs in the middle of the back nine and it was great to then get a reward with those two late birdies.”
Warren added: “I was trying to take care of my own mental side of it out there and I was pleased how I did that.”
Bob Macintyre (70), Scott Jamieson (70) and Stephen Gallacher (72) all finished joint-16th on six-under to make a good start to the season for the Scottish contingent. David Drysdale (73) finished on four-under, two better than Calum Hill (70), with Grant Forrest ending up on level-par after a closing 76.