GOLF – FREDDY Schott captured his maiden DP World Tour title yesterday as he was crowned champion of the 2026 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.
Schott claimed the glittering winner’s trophy, shaped after a traditional Bahraini dhow, and nearly $500,000 in prize money following a hugely exciting play-off that needed to go to a second hole.
The German battled back from two shots down to begin the final round and then overcame the tough challenges of Scotsman Calum Hill and American Patrick Reed in the additional go-arounds.
Schott joined South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli and England’s Laurie Canter as title winners in the kingdom’s most prestigious golf event, which was held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad.
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, awarded Schott during last night’s official prize presentation and closing ceremony, held on the 18th green.
Also on hand were His Majesty King Hamad’s humanitarian work and youth affairs representative and Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS) chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa; SCYS first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC) president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa; Prime Minister’s Court Minister and Rashid Equestrian and Horseracing Club High Committee chairman Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa; and other high-ranking officials.
“It’s just amazing – I’m just extremely happy, surprised,” said Schott, who was two shots behind Hill at the start of the last 18 of 72 holes. “I don’t know what’s happening right now. I’m just so happy.
“I could have done it the regular way – that would have also been fine! But to do it this way feels even more special, so I’m just glad it happened this way.”
Victory in his 91st DP World Tour event lifted Schott into the top 10 of this season’s Race to Dubai Rankings and moved him from 436th to inside the top 200 on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Schott, Hill and Reed were locked together at 17-under-par after 72 holes after Reed shot 67 yesterday to make up a four-shot overnight deficit to Hill, who had to settle for a 71 after a bogey at the difficult final hole. Schott carded 69 to join the pair in the play-off.
Reed bogeyed the first play-off hole to drop out of contention and after Hill went out of bounds the second time around – before sending his fourth shot into the water – he sportingly conceded without making Schott putt out for the win.
“It was tough, especially towards the end,” explained Schott. “The start was okay, because I was playing all right. It had good flow to it. Obviously, nerves kicked in from the back nine onwards. I was happy that I managed it okay – not perfect, but okay – and you guys saw what happened, so I’m very happy now.”
Hill, who equalled the course record of 61 in Friday’s second round, added to his two-shot overnight lead with an opening birdie after a superb approach, with Schott responding at the second before both players birdied the next.
Hill was four clear after another gain at the fifth but bogeyed the sixth while Schott made birdie – cutting the lead to one before drawing level with a birdie at the next.
Schott bogeyed the eighth but led anyway as Hill made a double, and a birdie at the 10th took the German two ahead – only for a double-bogey of his own at the 11th to leave the pair all square again.
“We get a ride from the 11th to the 12th, and I just said: ‘Okay, I’m not taking a ride, I’m walking just to settle myself again, to stay in the moment’ – that’s what I said to myself,” recalled Schott.
“These are moments you’re here for; that’s the reason why you play golf – just try to press the pedal down and go on. We hit a beauty into 12, a good birdie on 13, and just tried to scrap it around those last few holes.
“The way I feel is indescribable. I have no words for it. I’m just glad that I got it over the line, and we will see what the future holds.”
Sergio Garcia from Spain had joined the leaders by that point after responding to an opening bogey with three birdies in four holes from the third and another three in succession from the ninth, as had Reed after his fifth gain of the day at the 12th.
Daniel Hillier from New Zealand carded six birdies in a blemish-free 66 – his second six-under-par round of the week – to set the clubhouse target at 16-under as the leaders battled for supremacy.
Schott, Hill and Reed all reached 18-under with back-to-back birdies, Reed at the 13th and 14th with his rivals a hole behind.
Garcia’s challenge was left hanging by a thread after a double-bogey at the par-five 14th, as he eventually finished alongside Hillier on 16-under, and Reed dropped a shot at the 16th.
Schott and Hill missed the 17th green to the left before escaping with good chips – but while Hill holed his par putt, Schott made bogey. Reed set a new clubhouse target of 17-under but when his birdie putt at the last agonisingly stayed up on the short side, Hill had a one-shot lead down the last.
But he sent his approach to the extreme left of the green, leaving a nasty putt up the slope by the side of the green, which he was unable to get close.
Schott was in similar territory but closer in, allowing him to save par while Hill made bogey to set up the play-off.
Reed found the bunker with his 73rd tee shot and went from there to the edge of another, with Schott and Hill both hitting the fairway and then the heart of the green.
Schott holed for par and despite a superb effort at his up-and-down, Reed was unable to respond and dropped out of contention.
Hill held his nerve as he and Schott went back to the tee. The Scotsman sent his next tee-shot out of bounds to the left, with Schott only just avoiding the water in response. He sent his approach right of the green but Hill found the water with his fourth and conceded after Schott chipped on.
Hill and Reed shared second with Garcia and Hillier were fourth and France’s Ugo Coussaud was a shot further back in sixth.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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