The DP World Tour kicks off a new tournament week with the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Two Germans advance to the top on opening day.The DP World Tour Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship has begun. At the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain, two German players stood out against the international field on the first day.
Schott Takes the Lead on DP World Tour, Von Dellingshausen Close Behind
Freddy Schott had a dream start to the opening day and made an early statement. The German recorded six birdies in his first nine holes, including five in a row, quickly moving to the top of the leaderboard. A double bogey on the tenth hole briefly slowed his momentum, but Schott remained undeterred, adding birdies on the 14th and 17th holes along with only one more bogey. He crowned his round with an eagle on the final hole, sharing the lead at -7 with Spaniard Alejandro Del Rey, who played a flawless round without a bogey and seven birdies.
Other DACH Players Show Mixed Results
Nicolai von Dellingshausen positioned himself as a strong contender with birdies on holes 3, 4, 6, and 7, plus an eagle on the 9th, reaching -5 on the front nine. Although he bogeyed the 11th, he countered with birdies on 13 and 18, finishing at -6 and entering day two from a promising chasing position. Marcel Schneider sits mid-field after a round including five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey for a total of -1, showing particular strength on par-3 holes, where he made birdies on three out of four. Swiss Joel Girrbach finished at -2, recovering from two bogeys on the back nine with birdies on 15, 16, and 18. Marcel Siem experienced ups and downs, narrowly missing a hole-in-one on the 7th hole, ending the day at +2. Bernd Wiesberger and Maximilian Steinlechner each ended at +3, placing them in the lower third of the field.
Title Defense Underway and Notable Stories
Last year’s winner Laurie Canter is on course for a successful title defense, posting a -6 with seven birdies and just one bogey. News also broke as recent winner Patrick Reed announced he will not return to LIV Golf but aims to make a PGA Tour comeback in summer 2026. Reed had a mixed round with five birdies and four bogeys, sitting at -1 in the middle of the pack. Due to the interruption of the first day, not all players have completed their opening rounds yet.