Freddy Schott talks about nerves, mistakes, and relief after his first DP World Tour win in Bahrain.
After winning the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour, Freddy Schott was almost at a loss for words: ‘It still hasn’t fully sunk in. It will take a while, but it’s incredible,’ said the German from Düsseldorf. In a dramatic playoff at the Royal Golf Club, Schott defeated Patrick Reed and Calum Hill, marking the most important chapter of his career so far.
Freddy Schott: ‘The nerves kicked in on the back nine’
The final day demanded everything from Schott. ‘It was tough, especially towards the end,’ he described. The start was ‘okay’ as he played fairly well with a good rhythm. But with the back nine came the tension: ‘Of course, the nerves started then.’
Despite this, Schott stayed composed. ‘I was glad I managed it quite well—not perfectly, but okay,’ he reflected. Imperfections showed particularly on hole 11. After missing an eagle on hole 10, he hit an unfortunate tee shot: ‘The plan was to aim six or seven meters right of the pin, but I pulled it. Pulled shots often go long.’ The ball landed hot behind the green, and the following chip failed. ‘Two putts, just a dumb double bogey.’
Birdies at the right time and shared lead
Instead of letting the setback keep him off track, Schott made a conscious choice. ‘Normally we get a ride from 11 to 12, but I said: Okay, I won’t take the ride, I’ll walk to calm down and stay in the moment.’ He reminded himself why he plays golf: ‘These are the moments you’re here for; this is why you play golf—so try to put your foot on the gas and keep going.’
He did just that. ‘We hit a beautiful shot on 12, a good birdie on 13,’ Schott reported, then focused on getting it to the clubhouse. After 72 holes, he shared the lead at 17 under par with Reed and Hill, forcing a playoff. In the playoff, Schott kept his nerve. Two holes were enough to clinch the victory. Hill faltered, Reed was already out, and Schott stayed flawless, finishing his triumph with a par.
Caddie as anchor: ‘We talked about everything but golf’
His caddie played a key role. ‘Luckily, I talked a lot with Taka,’ Schott said. ‘He completely kept my mind off all those thoughts. We talked about everything but 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 last 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 glad I got it across the line—and we’ll see what the future brings.’