Freddy Schott talks about nerves, mistakes and relief after his first DP World Tour victory in Bahrain.
After his win at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour, Freddy Schott was at a loss for words: ‘It still hasn’t fully sunk in. This will take a while, but it’s incredible,’ said the Düsseldorfer after claiming his maiden DP World Tour title. In a dramatic playoff at the Royal Golf Club, Schott edged out Patrick Reed and Calum Hill, marking the most significant milestone in his career so far.
Freddy Schott: \”Nerves kicked in from the back nine\”
The final day demanded everything from the German. ‘It was tough, especially towards the end,’ Schott described his hours on the course. The start was \”okay\” as he played quite well and had a good rhythm. But with the back nine came the tension: ‘Of course, that’s when the nerves kicked in.’
Freddy Schott remained composed. ‘I was glad I managed it fairly well—not perfect, but okay,’ he recalled. Imperfections showed especially at hole 11 following a missed eagle on 10 and 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 landed ‘very hot’ behind the green, and the subsequent chip failed. ‘Two putts, just a dumb double bogey.’
Birdies at the right time and a shared lead
Instead of letting the setback derail him, Schott made a conscious decision. ‘Normally, we get a ride from 11 to 12, but I said: Okay, I won’t ride, 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 are here for; that’s why you play golf—so try to push the pedal and keep going.’
And so he did. ‘We played a beautiful shot on 12, got a good birdie on 13,’ Schott reported before focusing on ‘somehow getting it in the clubhouse.’ After 72 holes at 17 under par, he shared the lead with Reed and Hill—making the playoff inevitable. In the deciding moments, Schott held his nerve. Two playoff holes were enough to clinch the victory. Hill faltered, Reed had already been eliminated—Schott stayed flawless and sealed his triumph with a par.
Caddie as an anchor: \”We talked about everything except golf\”
A key role was also played by his caddie. ‘Luckily, I talked a lot with Taka,’ Schott said. ‘He kept me completely away from those thoughts. We talked about everything except golf—and that was great.’ His conclusion: ‘He did an incredible job this week, and I couldn’t be happier working with him.’
The emotional moment after the final putt was hard to put into words.