Nerve-wracking finale in Bahrain: Freddy Schott wins a playoff against Reed and Hill to claim his first DP World Tour victory and jumps to 9th in Race to Dubai.
The Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain went down to the wire. In a tight race on the final day, Scottish player Calum Hill, American Patrick Reed, and German Freddy Schott were tied, with Schott ultimately prevailing in a thrilling playoff. This victory marks Schott’s first DP World Tour win, propelling him to 9th place in the Race to Dubai standings, climbing 94 spots.
Trio shares the lead after final round
All three players finished Sunday with 17 under par, tied atop the leaderboard. Freddy Schott improved on his previous day with a 69, highlighting four birdies on the front nine but a bogey on the 8th hole. Despite a double bogey on the 11th, he balanced his score with three additional birdies and another bogey for a three-under-par round.
Patrick Reed carded a 67, five under par, recording seven birdies and two bogeys and nearly matching his Saturday best of 66 strokes.
Calum Hill shot a 71, one under par, maintaining a high leaderboard position thanks to his exceptional 61 on Friday. Despite five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey in the final round, Hill could not secure an outright win on the Royal Golf Club course.
DP World Tour: Dramatic playoff decision for Freddy Schott
In the playoff, Schott started with a par, while Reed bogeyed with five strokes. Hill also parred, forcing a second playoff hole. On the second hole, Hill bogeyed with seven strokes, ending his chance, while Schott maintained even par to win the tournament.
Spanish player Sergio García, who led the leaderboard several times during the event, finished with a 68 on the final day and tied for fourth place with New Zealander Daniel Hillier, both at 16 under par.
Other notable performances
Swiss Joel Girrbach could not replicate his earlier strong rounds. After promising starts with a birdie and an eagle, he showed signs of fatigue with bogeys on holes 8, 11, 15, and 17, finishing with an even-par 72 and 31st place overall at nine under par. German Nicolai von Dellingshausen struggled with a 74 and ended in a tie for 41st at seven under par.