Nerve-wracking Bahrain finish: Freddy Schott wins in a playoff against Reed and Hill, securing his first DP World Tour victory and rising to 9th in the Race to Dubai.
At the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain, the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour kept fans on the edge of their seats until the last moment. In a strong head-to-head competition between Scotsman Calum Hill, American Patrick Reed, and German Freddy Schott, it was ultimately Freddy Schott who triumphed in a tense playoff on the final day. This victory marks Schott’s first win on the DP World Tour. With this success, the Düsseldorf native leaps up 94 spots to 9th place on the Race to Dubai leaderboard.
Trio shares lead after final round
All three players finished Sunday tied at 17 under par atop the leaderboard. Freddy Schott improved by one shot compared to the previous day with a 69. On the front nine, Schott shined with four birdies but recorded a bogey on hole 8. His back nine was solid overall despite a double bogey on hole 11. Three more birdies and an additional bogey led to a total score of three under par for the day.
American Patrick Reed completed the tournament with a 67, five under par, marked by seven birdies and two bogeys. This near-matched his best round from the previous Saturday, which was a 66.
Scotsman Calum Hill shot an average 71, one under par, keeping him near the top of the leaderboard. Thanks to a stellar 61 on Friday, Hill had a small cushion, but his rivals capitalized on his weaker final day to close the gap. Five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey on the last day were not enough to seal a solo victory at Royal Golf Club.
DP World Tour: Dramatic playoff decision in favor of Freddy Schott
The playoff opened with Freddy Schott playing the hole in par. Patrick Reed scored a five, registering a bogey. Calum Hill also made par with four strokes, forcing the playoff back to hole 18 for another thrilling showdown. On the second playoff hole, Hill faltered with a seven on the par-4 and conceded the victory. Freddy Schott parred the hole, claiming the tournament win.
Spanish player Sergio García, who led the leaderboard multiple times during the tournament, finished the final day with a 68, securing a tie 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. #BahrainGolf