The DP World Tour kicks off a new tournament week with the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. On the first day, two Germans emerged at the top against an international field at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain.
Freddy Schott started his round with an impressive six birdies in the first nine holes, including five consecutive birdies, quickly moving to the top of the leaderboard. Despite a double bogey on the tenth hole, he recovered well with birdies on the 14th and 17th holes and finished with an eagle on the last hole to share the lead at -7 with Spaniard Alejandro Del Rey, who played a flawless round with seven birdies and no bogeys.
Following closely is Nicolai von Dellingshausen, who scored birdies on holes 3, 4, 6, and 7 and an eagle on the 9th, reaching -5 at the turn. Although he bogeyed the 11th, he responded with birdies on the 13th and 18th holes to finish the day in strong position at -6.
Mixed Results from Other DACH Players
Marcel Schneider sits in the middle of the field after a round featuring five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey, finishing at -1. Notably, Schneider was strong on par-3 holes, making birdies on three of the four such holes.
Joel Girrbach of Switzerland posted a solid round at -2, starting with a birdie and eight pars before recovering from two bogeys on the back nine with birdies on holes 15, 16, and 18. Marcel Siem experienced ups and downs, narrowly missing a hole-in-one on the 7th hole, ending his day at +2 after several bogeys and birdies.
Bernd Wiesberger and Maximilian Steinlechner both finished with +3, placing them toward the back of the field.
Defending Champion and Notable Players
Last year’s champion Laurie Canter is in contention to defend his title, posting six birdies against one bogey for a -6 total. Patrick Reed, last week’s winner, made headlines by announcing he will not return to LIV Golf but plans a comeback on the PGA Tour in summer 2026. Reed had a mixed round with five birdies and four bogeys, finishing near the middle of the pack at -1.
Due to interruptions during the first day, not all players have completed their opening rounds.