Freddy Schott talks about nerves, mistakes, and relief following his first DP World Tour victory in Bahrain.
After his triumph at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship on the DP World Tour, Freddy Schott struggled to find words: ‘It still hasn’t quite sunk in. It will take a while, but it’s incredible,’ said the Düsseldorf native, who celebrated his first DP World Tour win at the Royal Golf Club in a dramatic playoff 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 was exhausting for the German. ‘It was tough, especially towards the end,’ Schott recalled his time on the course. The start was ‘okay’ because ‘I played quite decently with a good rhythm.’ But the tension rose on the back nine: ‘Of course, that’s when the nerves set in.’
Still, Freddy Schott stayed composed. ‘I was glad to manage it fairly well – not perfect, but okay,’ he reflected. The imperfections became evident at the 11th hole. After missing an eagle on the 10th, he followed with 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 was missed. ‘Two putts, just a dumb double bogey.’
Birdies at the right time and a shared lead
Instead of letting the setback upset him, Schott made a conscious decision. ‘Normally, we get a ride from 11 to 12, and I said: okay, I won’t ride, I’ll walk to calm down and stay in the moment.’ He reminded himself of the essence of the sport: ‘These are the moments you’re here for; this is why you play golf – so try to press the gas pedal and keep going.’
Heeding his own advice, they played a beautiful shot on 12 and made a good birdie on 13, Schott reported before focusing on ‘somehow getting it into the clubhouse.’ At 17 under par after 72 holes, he shared the lead with Reed and Hill – a playoff was inevitable. In the playoff, Schott kept his nerves. Two playoff holes were enough to seal the victory. Hill faltered, Reed had already been eliminated – Schott remained flawless and finished his triumph with a par.
Caddie as an anchor: ‘We talked about everything except golf’
His caddie played a key role. ‘Fortunately, I talked a lot with Taka,’ Schott said. ‘He kept me completely away from all those thoughts. We talked about everything, just not golf – and that was great.’ In his conclusion: ‘He did an incredible job this week, and I couldn’t be happier working with him.’
The emotional moment after the last putt was hard to describe. ‘How I feel is indescribable. I have no words,’ said Schott