Freddy Schott talks about nerves, mistakes, and relief after his first DP World Tour win in Bahrain.
After his victory at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, Freddy Schott struggled to find words: ‘It still hasn’t fully sunk in. It will take a while, but it’s incredible,’ said the player from Düsseldorf, after celebrating his first DP World Tour win at the Royal Golf Club. In a dramatic playoff, Schott prevailed against Patrick Reed and Calum Hill, marking the most important chapter of his career so far.
Freddy Schott: \”Nerves kicked in on the back nine\”
The final day demanded everything from the German. ‘It was tough, especially towards the end,’ Schott described. The start was ‘okay’ as he played fairly well and had a good rhythm. But on the back nine, the tension increased: ‘Of course, the nerves kicked in from there.’
Nevertheless, Schott stayed focused. ‘I was glad to manage it reasonably well—not perfectly, but okay,’ he reflected. The imperfections became clear on the 11th hole. After missing an eagle on the 10th, he hit an unfortunate tee shot: ‘The plan was to aim six or seven meters right of the flag, but I pulled it. Pulled shots often go long.’ The ball ended up very far behind the green, and the following chip missed. ‘Two putts, just a silly double bogey.’
Birdies at the right time and a shared lead
Instead of letting the setback throw him off, Schott made a conscious decision. ‘Usually, we get a ride from the 11th to the 12th, but I said: Okay, I’ll walk to calm myself and stay in the moment.’ He reminded himself of the essence of his sport: ‘These are the moments you’re here for; that’s why you play golf—so try to push the pedal down and keep going.’
And so he did. ‘We played a beautiful shot on the 12th and had a good birdie on the 13th,’ Schott reported, before the remaining holes were all about getting it home. After 72 holes at 17 under par, he shared the lead with Reed and Hill—the playoff was inevitable. In the playoff, Schott kept his nerves. Two holes were enough to seal the victory. Hill faltered, Reed was eliminated earlier—Schott stayed error-free and sealed his triumph with a par.
Caddie as an anchor: \”We talked about everything except golf\”
His caddie played a key role as well. ‘Fortunately, I talked a lot with Taka,’ Schott said. ‘He completely distracted me from all those thoughts. We talked about everything, just not golf—and that was great.’ His conclusion: ‘He did an incredible job this week, and I couldn’t be happier to work with him.’
The emotional moment after the final putt was hard to put into words. ‘How I feel is indescribable. I have no words,’ Schott said. One thing was certain: ‘I’m just