Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner Paul Waring in quick return to capital for Team Cup contest

Englishman named by Luke Donald in Great Britain and Ireland team that will take on Continental Europe early in 2025

Paul Waring of England kisses the trophy following victory on day four of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 2024 at Yas Links. Getty Images

Paul Waring of England, right, poses with his caddie, Alex Evans and the trophy on the 18th green. Getty Images

Paul Waring of England celebrates victory on the 18th green. Getty Images

Paul Waring of England embraces his caddie, Alex Evans, following victory on the 18th green. Getty Images

Paul Waring of England celebrates his crucial birdie putt on the 17th green. Getty Images

Paul Waring of England tees off on the 18th hole. Getty Images

Paul Waring of England lines up a putt with his caddie on the 16th green. Getty Images

Paul Waring of England tees off at the 3rd hole. AP

Tyrrell Hatton of England plays his second shot on the 18th hole. Getty Images

Tyrrell Hatton of England celebrates on the 18th green. Getty Images

Tyrrell Hatton of England acknowledges the crowd. Getty Images

Shane Lowry of Ireland tees off on the 12th hole. Getty Images

Shane Lowry of Ireland plays his second shot on the 10th hole. Getty Images

Shane Lowry of Ireland walks across the first tee. Getty Images

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off on the 17th hole. Getty Images

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland smiles alongside Johannes Veerman of the United States. Getty Images

Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship winner Paul Waring is set for a quick return to the capital for the Team Cup event that is being held early in 2025.

The 39-year-old Englishman secured the finest win of his career when he triumphed at Yas Links two weeks ago in a tournament that saw him card a course record 11-under par 61 in the second round.

He went on the secure the title by two shots over Tyrell Hatton holding off a stellar final-day challenge that also included the likes of Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood and Thorbjorn Olesen.

And now Waring has been included in the Great Britain and Ireland team that will take on Continental Europe at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, from January 10-12.

European Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald revealed on Wednesday the first 18 competitors – nine on each side – for next year’s match play contest, with a combined 70 DP World Tour victories.

The final member of each side will be selected after the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, which concludes on December 8.

Donald is using the tournament as a warm-up event for the defence of Europe's Ryder Cup crown at Bethpage Black in New York in late September with Francesco Molinari and Justin Rose having already been named as captains – for Continental Europe and Great Britain and Ireland, respectively.

Molinari will lead Continental Europe in their defence of the Team Cup (then called the Hero Cup), which they won in 2023 after defeating Great Britain & Ireland 14½-10½ over three days.

The teams will compete in one session of fourballs on the Friday, two sessions of foursomes on the Saturday and one session of singles on Sunday, with every player taking part in each session.

Both sides will each have representation from three Ryder Cup players, with Molinari joined by Nicolai Hojgaard and Olesen, while Rose is alongside Fleetwood and Hatton. Also joining up with Rose's team will be five-time DP World Tour winner Matt Wallace, Tom McKibbin, Jordan Smith, Laurie Canter and Aaron Rai.

“Having two Ryder Cup teammates in Tommy and Tyrrell in the team will be invaluable, but I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the team step up to this new arena,” said 2013 US Open champion Rose.

“Having also played in 2023, I’m sure Matt and Jordan will be keen to go out there and win the Cup so it’ll be great to watch them in action again.

“Most of my team have also had the opportunity to represent either Great Britain & Ireland or England and Ireland separately in the past, so they have a lot of experience to draw on from their amateur days.

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“They are all proven winners on Tour, but Europe as a whole is going to benefit massively from next year’s Team Cup as we look towards the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.”

Olesen was one of the four automatic qualifiers for Molinari’s side, with fellow Scandinavians Rasmus Hojgaard and Niklas Norgaard and Italian Matteo Manassero also earning an automatic place on the Continental European team.

Rounding out the European side are the French pair of Matthieu Pavon and Antoine Rozner alongside the Dutchman Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen.

“It may be a new-look Continental European side but I’m really excited to lead these players at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort as we bid to defend the Team Cup next year,” said 2018 Open Champion Molinari.

“There is a fantastic blend of players who have hit the ground running at the start of their careers and those with a lot of experience on their side, and most of them have played in team competitions in the past as amateurs, which will have given them a great insight into these environments.”

And Donald, who will be captaining the European team for a second consecutive contest, said he and the two captains are “really excited by the two teams” playing in the Abu Dhabi tournament.

“This event provided valuable insight for a number of players who eventually made it to Marco Simone, with six of the 20 competitors in 2023 going on to play in the Ryder Cup, three of those making their debut appearances, and we’re excited to see who can make their mark in next year as they try to earn a place in my side for New York City,” added Donald.