South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli won the Bahrain Championship by two strokes to claim his first DP World Tour title in six years.
Frittelli started the final day at Royal Golf Club with a two-stroke lead, but with many players betting on the trophy, he was caught up at the turn after 12 holes, leaving him 2-over for the day.
But the 33-year-old didn’t win the DP World, PGA Tour and European Challenge Tour for nothing, as he made three birdies in four holes starting at No. 13 and shot a 71 to finish at 13 under.
Compatriot Xander Lombard and Swede Jesper Svensson were the closest challengers after rounds of 68 and 70 respectively, two strokes ahead of fellow South African Ocky Strydom and Frenchman Frédéric Lacroix. Ta.
Frittelli enjoyed a stellar amateur career, holding the winning putt as the University of Texas won the National Collegiate Championship in 2012.
Graduating from the Challenge Tour in 2016, he won the Lionesses Open and Afra Asia Bank Mauritius Open in 2017 before moving to the PGA Tour and winning the 2019 Jon Dere Classic title.
After pondering his future after a difficult 2023, he announced this week that he could return to the DP World Tour after taking the route for players who finish outside the top 125 on the FedEx Cup Fall Points List. “I felt encouraged,” he said. He won his first world championship since the summer of 2019.
“I feel great, I feel great,” said Frittelli, who missed or withdrew in 23 of 27 starts on the PGA Tour last season. “It’s been a long journey the last five or six years since I left the DP World Tour and went to America. Last year was a pretty tough year in America, but it feels great to be back on top now.
“Last year, to be honest, there were some moments where I thought I might give up on the game and look for something else.
“I made the decision at the end of last year and have had a good job from my physio, coach and trainers. I’m glad I persevered and the support from my family and friends has all been worth it.”
He added, “I think it shows my mental strength and I think it shows my focus and things that can’t really be quantified. I’ve had great swings all week. , I suddenly couldn’t hit during Sunday’s round, so I’m glad I was able to strengthen my resolve.”
moment @Dylan Frittelli Joined the Winners Circle again for the first time in 6 years and 63 days👏#BahrainGolfChampions pic.twitter.com/bQBumGjdlG
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 4, 2024
Svensson started the day with a three-stroke lead over the leader, but he hit a 60-meter hit on the second and made a nice approach that took advantage of the contours of the green on the fourth, bringing him within one stroke.
Strydom bounced back from a bogey on No. 5 with a 14-foot approach and a great tee shot on No. 7, and Frittelli three-putted the par-3 to tie the score.
Svensson and Strydom then both had a chance on the par-5 ninth. Svensson hit the green in two and Strydom went up and down on the 21-foot hole. However, the 39-year-old Svensson suffered bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes and fell back.
Svensson also missed his tee shot on the 11th to the right, but Frittelli missed the green on the 12th and took the lead alone.
At this point, Frittelli was tied with four players, one stroke behind the leader, but as soon as Lombard got to the top, they quickly became a group of three.
After bogeying the first, the 29-year-old birdied the third from a layup, pared his approach to 11 feet on the fifth and picked things up on the ninth.
On the 12th, he hit a double-digit score with a tee shot into tap-in range, and on the 14th, he took the lead with a two-putt, but Svensson made a two-putt of his own on the 13th to close the gap.
On No. 15, a three-putt from more than 80 feet put Lombard back by two places, and on No. 13, Frittelli was again the closest challenger with a deft up-and-down.
Svensson then made a terrible mess on the 14th, dropping his shot from the waste area to the sand and onto a tricky lie, handing the lead back to Frittelli, who hit a 398-yard tee shot for a two-putt gain.
Frittelli took a two-place lead with a 42-foot putt on the 16th, and Lombard made a birdie from 8 feet on the 17th, but the leader was determined and had to settle for his seventh DP World Tour runner-up finish. did not become.
Strydom bogeyed the 15th on the way home with a 73, but Lacroix had a birdie-birdie finish with a 70.
Canadian Aaron Cockerill and Swede Sebastian Söderberg finished at 8 under par, one stroke behind Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard and Niklas Norgaard, Switzerland’s Joel Gilbach and Frenchman Julien Guerrier.
– Report from DP World Tour website
Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images