Freddy Schott clinches maiden DP World Tour title in dramatic Bahrain playoff

Freddy Schott claimed his maiden DP World Tour title on Sunday after edging out Calum Hill and Patrick Reed in a dramatic playoff at the 2026 Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship.

The trio finished locked together at 17 under par after 72 holes, with Reed charging into contention courtesy of a closing 67 that overturned a four-shot overnight deficit. Hill, who began the final round two clear, carded a 71 after bogeying the difficult 18th, while Schott’s steady 69 was enough to force extra holes.

The playoff was short but chaotic. Reed, who won last week's Dubai Desert Classic, bowed out immediately after a bogey on the first extra hole, before Hill’s tee shot on his 74th hole flew out of bounds and then found water. In a sporting gesture, the Scot conceded the contest without requiring Schott to hole the winning putt.

Sunday’s final round was full of movement, with Schott setting the tone early alongside his playing partner. The 24-year-old raced out of the blocks with four birdies in his opening seven holes, only to see his momentum stalled by a bogey at the eighth and a double bogey on the 11th.

Refusing to fold, Schott responded superbly with back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13. Another dropped shot at the 17th threatened to derail his chances, but he dug deep to scrape his way into the play-off and keep his first DP World Tour victory alive.

Behind the leading trio, New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier and Spain’s Sergio Garcia applied pressure throughout the day with rounds of 66 and 68 respectively, eventually sharing fourth place at 16 under par. Ugo Coussaud finished alone in sixth, one shot further back.

Victory in his 91st DP World Tour start propels Schott into the top 10 of the Race to Dubai Rankings delivered by DP World and lifts him from 436th on the Official World Golf Ranking to inside the world’s top 200.

After the breakthrough win, an emotional Schott said: "It still hasn’t sunk in yet. It will take a while, but it’s amazing. I can’t even think of a better scenario that this at the moment. It was tough, especially towards the end. The start was okay, because I was playing alright. 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."

Reflecting on the pivotal moments in his round, Schott added: "We just missed out on an eagle on 10. We had a difficult part down the slope. I hit a great putt down there for an easy birdie. I missed it a bit left on 11. The plan was to go six or seven metres right of the pin, unfortunately I pulled it. Pulls tend to get long, so it went long left and all of a sudden it was going at the pin, and it was coming in very hot. I found myself on the back of the green there. It was a very difficult chip up; I didn’t manage it well. Two putts, just a silly double bogey."

Schott also paid tribute to his caddie, Taka, for keeping him grounded under pressure: "Luckily, I was speaking to Taka, my caddie. He kept me from all these thoughts, completely away. We were just talking about anything but golf and it was great. He did an unbelievable job this week and I couldn't be happier to be working with him."

Still coming to terms with the moment, Schott concluded: "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."