Patrick Reed just misses out on second consecutive DP World Tour victory

It’s early, but Patrick Reed’s plan to return to the PGA Tour already seems to be coming together nicely.

The 2018 Masters champ has had quite a whirlwind week. It started last Sunday when he won the Dubai Desert Classic and then promptly admitted that his contract with LIV Golf for 2026 had not yet been signed. He seemed optimistic that it would get done soon. However, three days later Reed announced that he would not sign the LIV contract and he intended to play his way back to the PGA Tour by finishing inside the top 10 on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai standings at the end of the year.

On Sunday, he found himself in a three-man playoff at the Bahrain Championship at Royal Golf Club but ultimately made bogey on the first hole and tied for second place behind German’s Freddy Schott, a 24-year-old who captured his first Euro title. Reed is second in the tour’s standings and although it’s only February, in a good position to earn one of the 10 PGA Tour cards for 2027.

Reed made up ground quickly in the final round by making birdies and was six under par after 14 holes. A bogey on the 16th hurt, but he entered the clubhouse with the lead at 17 under par. Schott bogeyed the 17th and Calum Hill, leader with one hole to play, bogeyed the 18th hole to back into the playoff. Hill had a monstrous birdie attempt and hit a poor lag putt to 25 feet before missing that for par.

The trio returned to the 18th hole, where Reed made bogey. Hill hit his drive out of bounds on the second playoff hole and hit his fourth shot into the water. He conceded the tournament to Schott and ended up being marked for a triple-bogey 7. Hill once held a four-shot lead after making birdie on the fifth hole.

Schott shot 65-67-70-69 for his first DP World Tour victory. Sergio Garcia tied for fourth place and was one shot out of the playoff.

“I have no idea,” Schott said. “It’s just amazing. I’m just extremely happy, surprised … 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 that it happened this way.”

This was Schott’s 91st start on the DP World Tour. He’s now up to ninth in the Race to Dubai rankings. South Africa’s Jayden Schaper is a top the list. Reed is second, Andy Sullivan is third, David Puig is fourth and Daniel Hillier is fifth.

The Qatar Masters is up this week at Doha Golf Club, where Reed is scheduled to play in what would be his third consecutive week.