Bahrain Golf Championship Bursts Into Action
Spain’s Del Rey, Germany’s Schott Hold Early Lead After Round 1
Spain’s Alejandro Del Rey and Germany’s Freddy Schott made a spectacular start to the BAPCO Energies Bahrain Golf Championship yesterday, sharing the lead after the opening round with identical scores of 65, seven under par.
The tournament, held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, has attracted 138 players from 28 countries and forms part of the DP World Tour, with a total prize fund of $2.75 million. The championship continues today with the second round, with the final two rounds scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
Del Rey, 27, has yet to miss a cut in the 2026 DP World Tour and carried his strong early-season form into Bahrain. He carded seven birdies, including three consecutive birdies to open his round, marking his lowest score of the season.
“The course felt softer than last year, and the conditions were favourable early on,” Del Rey said. “I wanted to start aggressively and build momentum, and overall, I hit the ball very well. I really enjoy this first swing here in the desert. The course suits me, and I feel comfortable playing here in January.”
Schott, 24, joined Del Rey at the top after an eventful round. Starting on the back nine, he surged with six birdies in his opening seven holes, but also dropped two shots. He finished strongly with a birdie-eagle on the 18th hole, cementing a share of the lead.
“It was a good round overall — a strong start and a strong finish,” said Schott. “I just tried to stay focused and hit my comfortable shots, and it worked out in the end.”
One shot behind at six under par is a pack of four players, including defending champion Laurie Canter of England, Australia’s Daniel Hillier, Sweden’s Niklas Lemke, and Germany’s Nicolai von Dellingshausen. Canter praised the course’s challenge, noting the importance of adapting to the wind while taking advantage of early scoring opportunities.
Veteran Irish golfer Pádraig Harrington praised Bahrain’s ongoing efforts to develop golf, highlighting improvements to the course and growing local participation, while expressing satisfaction with his own form heading into a long season.
Among players with local connections, Tom Sloman, winner of the King Hamad Cup, posted 74 (+2), while Zubair Firdaus of Malaysia, champion of the Bahrain Open Amateur Championship, carded 75 (+3). Bahraini golfers Ali Al Kowari and Khalifa Al Maraisi finished on 79 (+7) and 88 (+16) respectively.
Ten players will return this morning at 07:15 to complete their first round, which was suspended at 17:25 due to darkness. The second round takes place today, determining the cut as half the field will advance to the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday.
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