In a thrilling playoff, Freddy Schott secures his first DP World Tour victory using only Ping clubs.
Freddy Schott claimed his first DP World Tour win at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship 2026 on the final day in a nerve-wracking playoff against Scotland’s Callum Hill and American Patrick Reed, all finishing the tournament at -17. The 24-year-old from Düsseldorf brought his maiden major title to Germany, trusting exclusively in clubs from the renowned Japanese brand Ping.
Driver: Mini-Driver as Secret Weapon
The newly crowned winner relied on a mini-driver off the tee, similar to Marco Penge, who recently adopted such a club. Schott’s driver is a prototype from Ping, officially added to the USGA Conforming List in January 2026. Ping remains one of the few manufacturers whose mini-drivers are not commercially available and are currently used only by the world’s top players. Notable features include the ‘Prototype’ inscription on the sole, adjustable weight port at the back, adjustable hosel, as well as the ‘Spinsistency’ marking on the clubface.
Freddy Schott also carries a Ping utility iron. Previously, he used a 2- or 3-iron from the Ping iCrossover series depending on course conditions, but recently he was spotted with the iDi utility iron, also from Ping. Introduced at the end of 2025, the Ping iDi is a powerful long-iron blending modern technology with a compact shape, excellent feel, and high control, designed to maximize ball speed and stability especially for tee shots or long approach shots.
Ping Blueprint-S for Control and Performance
For his regular irons (4-PW), Schott uses clubs from the Ping Blueprint-S series, in use for about a year since their introduction in early 2025. Before that, he played the Ping i59 irons for over two years. The Blueprint-S heads are fully forged from 8620 carbon steel featuring a thin topline, narrow sole, and matte satin chrome finish. This series targets low-handicap golfers seeking excellent control and performance.
Schott’s wedges also come from Ping, belonging to the S259 family. The S259 wedges feature precision-milled MicroMax grooves and a HydroPearl chrome finish to maximize friction and increase spin, especially in wet conditions. They are the successors to the popular S159 series, available since early 2026.
Freddy Schott’s Decisive Putter in the Playoff
The final club in Schott’s bag is also from Ping, a brand known since