Freddy Schott talks about nerves, mistakes, and relief following his first DP World Tour victory in Bahrain.
After winning the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, Freddy Schott was almost at a loss for words: ‘It still hasn’t fully sunk in. It will take some time, but it’s incredible,’ said the German from Düsseldorf after celebrating his maiden DP World Tour victory at the Royal Golf Club. In a dramatic playoff, Schott triumphed over Patrick Reed and Calum Hill, marking the most important chapter in his career so far.
Freddy Schott: \”Nerves kicked in on the back nine\”
The final day demanded everything from the German. ‘It was tough, especially towards the end,’ Schott described the hours on the course. The start was ‘okay’ as he played quite well and had a good rhythm. But from the back nine, the tension grew: ‘Of course, the nerves kicked in from there.’
Despite this, Schott kept his composure. ‘I was glad that I managed it fairly well—not perfect, but okay,’ he reflected. Imperfection was most evident on hole 11. After a missed eagle on 10, an unfortunate tee shot followed: ‘The plan was to aim six or seven meters right of the flag, but I pulled it. Pulled shots often go long.’ The ball ended up ‘hot’ behind the green, and the following chip failed. ‘Two putts, just a dumb double bogey.’
Birdies at the right moments and a shared lead
Instead of letting the setback throw him off, Schott made a conscious decision. ‘Normally we get a ride from 11 to 12, but I said: okay, I won’t ride, I’ll walk to calm down and stay in the moment.’ He reminded himself of the essence of his sport: ‘These are the moments you are here for; this is why you play golf—so try to step on the gas and keep going.’
And so he did. ‘We played a beautiful shot on 12 and had a good birdie on 13,’ Schott reported, before the last holes were about ‘just getting it somehow into the clubhouse.’ Finishing at 17 under par, he shared the lead with Reed and Hill after 72 holes—the playoff was inevitable. In the decider, Schott held his nerves. Two playoff holes were enough to secure the win. Hill faltered, Reed had already been eliminated, Schott stayed error-free and sealed his triumph with a par.
Caddie as an anchor: \”We talked about everything, just not golf\”
A key role was played by his caddie. ‘Fortunately, I talked a lot with Taka,’ Schott said. ‘He completely kept me away from all those thoughts. We talked about everything, just not golf—and that was great.’ His conclusion: ‘He did an incredible job this week, and I couldn’t be happier to work with him.’
The emotional moment after the final putt was hard to put into words. ‘How I feel is indescribable