Nerve-wracking finish in Bahrain: Freddy Schott wins in a playoff against Reed and Hill, celebrating his first DP World Tour victory and rising to 9th in 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 minute. In a fierce head-to-head competition among Scot Calum Hill, American Patrick Reed, and German Freddy Schott, it was Schott who ultimately prevailed in an intense playoff on the final day. This victory marks Schott’s first triumph on the DP World Tour. With this success, the Düsseldorf native leaps to 9th place in the Race to Dubai rankings, moving up 94 spots.
Trio shares lead after final round
All three players finished Sunday at 17 under par, sharing the top of the leaderboard. Freddy Schott improved by one stroke from the previous day with a 69. He shone on the front nine with four birdies but took a bogey on hole 8. His back nine was steady overall despite a double bogey on hole 11, adding three birdies and one bogey to end the day three strokes under par.
Patrick Reed closed the tournament with a 67, five under par, recording seven birdies and two bogeys. This score was close to his best round of 66 the previous day.
Calum Hill posted a solid but average 71, one under par, maintaining a high position on the leaderboard. Thanks to his impressive 61 on Friday, he had a slight cushion, but his competitors used his weaker final round to close in. Despite five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey, Hill could not secure an outright win at the Royal Golf Club.
DP World Tour: Dramatic playoff decision crowns Freddy Schott
The playoff began with Schott making par. Patrick Reed scored a bogey with five strokes, while Calum Hill also made par with four strokes, leading to a second playoff hole at the 18th. On the second attempt, Hill struggled with seven strokes on the par-4 hole, falling short of victory. Schott played even par to clinch the tournament.
Spanish golfer Sergio García, who had led the leaderboard several times during the event, finished the final day with a 68, tying for fourth place alongside New Zealander Daniel Hillier, who also finished at 16 under par.
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