The DP World Tour kicks off a new tournament week with the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship. Two Germans made significant moves on the opening day.
The DP World Tour Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship has started at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain, where two German players distinguished themselves among the international field on the first day.
Schott Leads the DP World Tour, Von Dellingshausen Follows
Freddy Schott got off to a dream start with six birdies in his first nine holes, including five in a row, quickly moving to the top of the leaderboard. Despite a double bogey on the tenth hole momentarily slowing his momentum, Schott bounced back with birdies on the 14th and 17th holes and finished with an eagle on the final hole, sharing the lead at -7 with Spaniard Alejandro Del Rey, who played a flawless round with seven birdies and no bogeys.
Close behind is Nicolai von Dellingshausen. After a strong front nine featuring birdies on holes 3, 4, 6, and 7, and an eagle on the 9th thanks to a near-perfect approach shot, he was already at -5. Despite a bogey on the 11th, he recovered with birdies on the 13th and 18th and entered the second day at -6, well-positioned as a contender.
Other DACH Players Post Mixed Results
Marcel Schneider lies in the middle of the pack after round one. His fluctuating performance included five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey, ending on a total of -1. Notably, he excelled on the par-3 holes, making birdies on three of the four.
Joel Girrbach from Switzerland finished at -2. He started solidly with a birdie and eight pars but had two bogeys on the back nine, which he balanced out with birdies on holes 15, 16, and 18 to complete a sub-par round.
Marcel Siem experienced ups and downs. After bogeys on the 4th and 5th holes, he came very close to a hole-in-one on the 7th, sinking the birdie putt there and again on the 9th, going even par after the front nine. The back nine saw two early bogeys and a birdie on the 14th, but another bogey prevented further recovery, finishing the day at +2.
Bernd Wiesberger and Maximilian Steinlechner both scored three birdies and six bogeys, ending at +3 and positioned in the lower third of the field.
Title Defense Mission Well Underway
Last year’s champion Laurie Canter is on track to defend his title. The Englishman carded three birdies on the front nine and four more on the back nine, with just one bogey, putting him at -6 and close to the lead.
Patrick Reed, the winner from the previous week, made headlines before the tournament by announcing he will not return to LIV Golf but plans a comeback