Freddy Schott secured his maiden DP World Tour victory in dramatic fashion on Sunday, prevailing in a three-man play-off at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship to mark a defining moment in his young career.
The 24-year-old German finished regulation play tied on 17 under par alongside Calum Hill and Patrick Reed after a tense final day. Reed surged into contention with a closing 67 to overturn a four-shot overnight deficit, while Hill, who began the day two clear, carded a 71 after a costly bogey at the demanding final hole. Schott remained composed with a 69 to force the play-off.
The first extra hole proved decisive. Reed bowed out after a bogey, before misfortune struck Hill when his tee shot went out of bounds and then found water. In a moment of sportsmanship, the Scot conceded the contest, handing Schott his long-awaited first win without requiring a final putt.
Earlier, Schott had set the tone with four birdies in his opening seven holes, briefly building momentum before a dropped shot at the eighth and a double bogey on the 11th stalled his charge. Showing maturity beyond his years, he regrouped immediately, birdieing the 12th and 13th holes, and despite another setback at the 17th, did enough to stay in the hunt and extend his week.
Behind the leading trio, New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier and Spain’s Sergio García applied sustained pressure with rounds of 66 and 68 respectively, finishing tied fourth at 16 under par. Ugo Coussaud followed in sixth, one stroke further back.
The victory, achieved in Schott’s 91st DP World Tour start, propels him into the top ten of the current Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World and represents a significant jump on the Official World Golf Ranking, moving him from outside the top 400 into the top 200.
Reflecting on the moment, Schott admitted the achievement was still sinking in. He spoke candidly about managing nerves, overcoming a costly double bogey, and leaning on his caddie to stay grounded during the closing stretch. “These are the moments you play golf for,” he said, crediting his team for keeping him focused and present under pressure.
For Schott, Bahrain was not just a first title, it was a statement of arrival, signaling a new chapter as he looks ahead to the rest of the season with confidence and momentum firmly on his side.
About the DP World Tour
The DP World Tour is the main men’s professional golf tour of the European Tour group.
As golf’s global tour, we showcase global talent in global destinations and use our platform to build, entertain and connect our global community.
GLOBAL TALENT: We provide pathways and a platform for the leading international talent, bringing together golfing icons, national heroes and emerging stars from around the world.
GLOBAL DESTINATIONS: We stage tournaments in iconic cities and locations around the world and each week we celebrate and showcase the rich diversity of the courses, cities and cultures we visit.
GLOBAL COMMUNITY: We build, entertain and connect communities through our commitment to innovation, creative content and having a positive social and environmental impact.
Our 2026 Global Schedule features 42 tournaments in 25 different countries and comprises three distinct phases: five ‘Global Swings’, the ‘Back 9’ and the ‘DP World Tour Play-Offs’. It features five Rolex Series events – the premium category of events on the DP World Tour – and four Major Championships, all of which count towards the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World, the Tour’s season-long competition which concludes at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
DP World, the leading provider of global smart end-to-end supply chain and logistics solutions, has been the title partner of the DP World Tour since the start of the 2022 season, the Tour’s 50th season following its formation in 1972.
We also enjoy the support of many of the world’s leading business brands with DP World, Rolex, Aldar, AWS, BMW, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Emirates, Fortinet, Husqvarna, Michelob ULTRA, Nexo and Vestas as Official Partners
