Nerve-wracking finish in Bahrain: Freddy Schott clinches his first DP World Tour victory in a playoff against Reed and Hill, climbing 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 strong head-to-head rivalry between Scotland’s Calum Hill, American Patrick Reed, and German Freddy Schott, it was ultimately Schott who prevailed in a nerve-racking playoff on the final day. This win marks Schott’s first triumph on the DP World Tour. With this victory, the Düsseldorf native skyrocketed to 9th place in the Race to Dubai standings, jumping 94 spots.
Trio shares the lead after final round
All three players finished the final Sunday tied at 17 under par atop the leaderboard. Freddy Schott improved by one stroke compared to the previous day with a 69. He shined on the front nine with four birdies but conceded a bogey on hole 8. His back nine was solid overall despite a double bogey on hole 11. Three more birdies and one additional bogey brought his daily score to three under par.
American Patrick Reed completed the tournament with a 67, five under par, tallying seven birdies and two bogeys. This round closely matched his best score from the previous Saturday, where he shot 66.
Scottish player Calum Hill carded an average 71, one under par, but maintained a high position on the leaderboard. Thanks to his impressive 61 on Friday, Hill had a small cushion, but his rivals capitalized on his final round struggles, closing the gap. Despite five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey, Hill could not secure the outright win at the Royal Golf Club.
DP World Tour: Dramatic playoff decision for Freddy Schott
The playoff began with Freddy Schott making par on the hole. Patrick Reed recorded a bogey with five strokes. Calum Hill also made par with four strokes, leading to a repeat of the 18th hole for the playoff. On the second playoff hole, Hill faltered with seven strokes on the par-4 and missed his chance to win. Freddy Schott played the hole with even par, clinching the tournament victory.
Spanish golfer Sergio García, who had taken the lead several times during the event, finished day four with a 68 and tied for fourth place with New Zealander Daniel Hillier, both ending 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