Freddy Schott talks about nerves, mistakes and relief after his first DP World Tour victory in Bahrain.
Freddy Schott was at a loss for words after his win at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour: ‘It still hasn’t fully sunk in. It will take some time, but it’s incredible,’ said the Düsseldorf native after celebrating his first DP World Tour victory. In a dramatic playoff, Schott prevailed at the Royal Golf Club against Patrick Reed and Calum Hill, marking the most important chapter of his career so far.
Freddy Schott: \”The nerves hit me 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 still ‘okay’ because he played quite well and had a good rhythm. But on the back nine, the tension set in: ‘Of course, the nerves kicked in from there.’
Nevertheless, Schott stayed composed. ‘I was glad I managed it fairly well—not perfect, but okay,’ he reflected. The imperfections showed particularly on hole 11. After missing an eagle on 10, an unlucky 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 ‘very hot’ behind the green, and the following chip failed. ‘Two putts, just a dumb double bogey.’
Birdies at the right time and a shared lead
Instead of letting the setback throw him off, Schott made a conscious decision. ‘We usually get a ride from 11 to 12, but I said: Okay, I won’t take it, I’ll walk to calm down and stay in the moment.’ He reminded himself of the core reason for playing: ‘These are the moments you are here for; that’s why you play golf—so try to step on the gas and keep going.’
And so he did. ‘We hit a beautiful shot on 12, a good birdie on 13,’ Schott recounted, before just trying ‘to get it somehow into the clubhouse’ on the last holes. With 17 under par, he shared the lead after 72 holes with Reed and Hill—prompting a playoff. In the decider, Schott held his nerves. Two playoff holes were enough to secure the win. Hill faltered, Reed had been eliminated earlier—Schott remained flawless and sealed his triumph with a par.
Caddie’s support: \”We talked about everything, just not golf\”
His caddie played a key role. ‘Fortunately, I talked a lot with Taka,’ said Schott. ‘He kept me completely 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 last putt was hard to put into words. ‘How I feel is indescribable. I have no words