At the 2026 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, Freddy Schott picked up his maiden win on the DP World Tour after defeating Calum Hill and Patrick Reed in a playoff.
Hill, who held a two-shot lead over Schott heading into the final round, quickly doubled his lead to four after making birdie on three of the first five holes. Hill’s lead dissipated after Schott made back-to-back birdies on holes six and seven, while Hill made a bogey and double bogey in a three-hole stretch.
Schott took a two-shot lead after making a birdie on the 10th hole but lost it immediately after a double bogey on the 11th hole. He bounced back with two birdies in a row on holes 12 and 13. However, Reed and Hill tied Schott’s lead at 18-under after their own back-to-back birdies.
Reed set the clubhouse lead at 17-under after dropping a shot on the 16th hole. Hill headed to the 18th tee with a one-shot lead after Schott made bogey on the 17th hole. Hill left himself with an incredibly difficult two-putt for the win and could not convert, meaning he joined Schott and Reed in what was now a three-man playoff.
On the first playoff hole, Reed made bogey while his two other competitors made par. His quest for back-to-back wins was gone after a poor tee shot on the first playoff hole.
Hill, teeing off first on the second playoff hole, hit his drive out of bounds and had to hit again. Schott found the fairway with his drive, and his second shot found the rough just right of the green. Hill’s shanked his fourth shot into the water on the right side of the 18th hole. Hill conceded the hole after Schott chipped onto the green in three, giving Schott his first career win.
For the 24-year-old German, this is his highest finish since a T5 at the 2024 AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open. This win in his 91st start on the DP World Tour will move him inside the top 200 of the Official World Golf Ranking and into the top 10 of the Race to Dubai Rankings for this season.
After his first career win, Schott was asked to describe his thoughts. “I have no idea. It’s just amazing, I’m just extremely happy, surprised…I don’t know what’s happening right now. I’m just so happy.”
The DP World Tour heads to Qatar next week for the Qatar Masters. The 2025 champion, Haotong Li, is not in the field as he is now on the PGA Tour. The field includes Jayden Schaper, Padraig Harrington and Reed.
