Nerve-wracking Bahrain finish: Freddy Schott wins a playoff against Reed and Hill, celebrates his first DP World Tour win and climbs to 9th in the Race to Dubai.
At the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain, the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour remained thrilling until the very last moment. In a fierce head-to-head competition between Scotsman Calum Hill, American Patrick Reed, and German Freddy Schott, Schott emerged victorious in a gripping final-day playoff. This victory marked Schott’s first triumph on the DP World Tour. With this success, the Düsseldorf native surged to 9th place in the Race to Dubai rankings, climbing 94 spots.
Trio Shares Lead After Final Round
All three players finished the final Sunday tied at 17 under par atop the leaderboard. Schott improved his performance with a 69, one stroke better than the previous day. He shined on the front nine with four birdies but suffered a bogey on hole 8. His back nine was solid overall despite a double bogey on hole 11. Three more birdies and another bogey rounded out his day at three under par.
American Patrick Reed carded a 67, five under par, with seven birdies and two bogeys, coming close to his best round of 66 from the previous Saturday.
Calum Hill shot a one-under 71, maintaining a high position on the leaderboard. His remarkable 61 on Friday had given him some buffer, but his rivals took advantage of his final-day struggles, closing in closely. Despite five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey on the last day, Hill couldn’t secure an outright win at Royal Golf Club.
DP World Tour: Freddy Schott Secures Dramatic Playoff Victory
The playoff began with Schott making par on the first hole. Reed recorded a bogey with five strokes, while Hill matched Schott’s par with four strokes. This led to a return to the 18th hole for a second playoff round. Hill faltered with seven strokes on the par-4 in the second round, ending his chances. Schott played even par to clinch the tournament victory.
Spanish golfer Sergio García, who had held the lead several times during the tournament, finished the final day with a 68 and shared fourth place with New Zealander Daniel Hillier, both at 16 under par overall.
The moment Freddy Schott became a winner on Tour 🙌
He beat Calum Hill on the second play-off hole as the Scotsman conceded after going out of bounds off the tee and then into the water with his fourth shot. #BahrainGolfChamps pic.twitter.com/GhZCRaRR6v