Gurugram: On a dank, misty night and on a course that routinely examined the very best subject ever assembled for a global occasion within the nation, Ollie Schniederjans shone the brightest, his recreation lastly delivering the end result it had lengthy promised.
Ollie Schniederjans shot 10-under 278 to comfortably beat Bryson DeChambeau (Asian Tour)
The US golfer sank six birdies within the last spherical, together with an outrageous chip from thick greenside tough on the par-4 thirteenth, to win the $2 million Worldwide Collection on the DLF Golf and Nation Membership right here on Sunday. The end result ended the 31-year-old’s nine-year watch for a title, since he turned professional in 2015.
Schniederjans shot 10-under 278 to comfortably beat the match’s largest calling card, reigning US Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau – the two-time Main winner shot a superb bogey-free 65 within the last spherical with 5 birdies and an eagle – by 4 pictures to stroll away with the winner’s cheque of $360,000. DeChambeau’s late rally was not sufficient, particularly towards Schniederjans who performed stable golf.
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, who held the clubhouse lead on the penultimate day, was undone by the infamous again 9 as he carded 2-under 286 for tied third with Mexican-American Abraham Ancer. Anirban Lahiri was the very best Indian on the leaderboard, ending T10 (2-over 290).
Coming into the match, few gave Schniederjans an opportunity, particularly with LIV Tour superstars DeChambeau, Niemann, Paul Casey and John Catlin hogging the build-up. However the American was consistency personified, calmly taking pictures three-under 69 in every of the final three rounds to remain in rivalry after which zoom forward.
His title cost was strengthened by Niemann having a forgettable final stretch in Spherical 3, unfinished on Saturday and which started in thick haze two hours previous the schedule. He bogeyed the thirteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and 18th holes, and had a double bogey on the par-4 14th to complete Spherical 3 at five-over.
Whereas Schniederjans continued to carry the benefit, DeChambeau discovered his bearings because the skies lastly cleared up. An eagle on the par-5 18th and birdies on the second and fourth gave him the early impetus. Nonetheless, regardless of carding the very best spherical of Sunday, an eight-shot hole Schniederjans had constructed was a bridge too far.
That the Texan was going to have an excellent outing was obvious along with his lights-out begin to the third spherical on Sunday the place he birdied his first three holes – 10, 11 and 12 – and sped to a three-shot lead whereas Niemann started to falter. As organisers scurried to finish the match with a shotgun begin for the second day in a row, Schniederjans went about his enterprise with exceptional effectivity.
He had a five-shot lead on the flip over Japan’s Kazuki Higa and DeChambeau. That lead grew to become six when he sensationally chipped in for a birdie on the thirteenth. He noticed the second shot go previous the inexperienced and slide down the tough to the verge of thick bushes. Not allowed aid by the official, it regarded like a possible bogey, however his chip to the elevated inexperienced was good. He referred to as it “one of the best shots” he had ever hit.
Regardless of a bogey on the seventeenth, Schniederjans safely made par on the final gap, narrowly lacking a chip for birdie from the sting of the inexperienced. Because the course erupted in applause, Schniederjans lastly confirmed emotion, hugging youthful brother Ben, his caddie.
“To come out and shoot those scores now, with everything I have been through – my game is a lot better than it ever was,” Schniederjans mentioned. The previous world No.1 newbie is simply the third newbie since 1960 to make two Main cuts in the identical summer time, the others being Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
His physique, nonetheless, would quickly surrender as accidents started to crop up on his obliques, neck, and hips. He underwent surgical procedure on each hips in 2022 and obtained demoted to the Korn Ferry Tour the place he performed 16 tournaments final 12 months for a solitary top-10 end.
Final month, Schniederjans completed T4 within the LIV Golf promotions occasion to overlook out on the lone spot obtainable within the league, however gained exemptions into all of the Worldwide Collection occasions for 2025. His near-term purpose, he mentioned, was to get on the LIV Tour roster.
“I had to change my swing and work on my body mechanics. It was a long process, much longer than I would have liked,” he mentioned, reflecting on his struggles with accidents.
“It’s only in the last 12 months that I’ve been able to play consistently without setbacks. By the end of last season, I felt I was truly in control of my game and ready to do something big.”
As large as it could get, that too on a brute of a course with a two-time Main winner chasing.