The DP World Tour kicks off a new tournament week with the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Two Germans shine on the opening day.
The DP World Tour Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship has started. At the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain, two German players advanced strongly against the international field on the first day.
Schott Takes the Lead on the DP World Tour, Von Dellingshausen Close Behind
Freddy Schott got off to a dream start on the opening day, making an early statement. The German recorded six birdies on his first nine holes, including five consecutively, quickly climbing to the top of the leaderboard. A double bogey on his tenth hole momentarily slowed his momentum, but Schott remained undeterred: birdies on 14 and 17, with only one additional bogey, brought him back on track. He crowned his round with an eagle on the final hole to share the lead at -7 alongside Spaniard Alejandro Del Rey, who shot a flawless round without any bogeys, collecting seven birdies.
Trailing closely is Nicolai von Dellingshausen. After strong front nine performance with birdies on holes 3, 4, 6, and 7 and an eagle on 9—following a near-perfect approach shot—he was at -5. Although he dropped a bogey on 11, he bounced back with birdies on 13 and 18, finishing at -6 and positioning himself well for day two. His precise approach shots contributed to several birdies.
Other DACH Players Show Mixed Results
Marcel Schneider sits in the middle of the field after round one with a mixed performance featuring five birdies, two bogeys, and one double bogey, totaling -1. Notably, he excelled on par-3 holes, making birdies on three of four.
Joel Girrbach, the Swiss, finished at -2. He started solidly with a birdie and eight pars, but two bogeys on the back nine were offset by birdies on 15, 16, and 18, securing his under-par round.
Marcel Siem experienced a rollercoaster day. After bogeys on 4 and 5, he narrowly missed a hole-in-one on 7, where he also made a birdie, followed by another birdie at 9, finishing the front nine at even par. Two early bogeys on the back nine slowed him down, although a birdie on 14 helped, finishing the round at +2.
Bernd Wiesberger and Maximilian Steinlechner both ended with three birdies and six bogeys each, standing at +3 and towards the back of the field.
Title Defense Mission Off to a Strong Start
Last year’s champion Laurie Canter is on course to defend his title. The Englishman carded three birdies on the front nine and added four more on the back nine, with just one bogey, standing at -6 and close to the lead.
Notable headlines also came from recent winner Patrick Reed, who announced