Jeremy Freiburghaus triumphs in Challenge Tour English Trophy play-off
16.10.2022

A par at the first extra hole was enough for the 26-year-old to claim his first European Challenge Tour title as Schmitt could only manage a double bogey six after seeing his first tee shot bounce in the car park and onto the roof of the clubhouse.

The duo took part in an epic duel on the final day at Frilford Heath Golf Club, as Freiburghaus overturned a two-stroke deficit with a sublime six under par 66 to tie on 22 under par after 72 holes, before triumphing in the play-off to move to the top of the Rankings ahead of the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment all year and to have it happen on the very last tournament is pretty special,” he said.

“It’s very big. Getting a win was the main goal this year, came up short twice, but I think that really helped me to stay patient and humble for the win and here we are.

“My goal was to finish up there and I didn’t think about finishing first but I’m really happy.”

Freiburghaus, from Switzerland, dropped only one shot in his final round – at the par three ninth – and credited an improvement in his putting for reaching the summit, before sticking to his strategy in the play-off.

“I putted really well today,” he said. “I’ve been struggling a bit the past few days and I didn’t make many mistakes off the tee, that really helps makes the game much more relaxed. Coming in clutch on the back nine was awesome.

“I could’ve been a little bit more aggressive but I hit the three wood before and I thought if I catch it really well, I might be able to get on. I wanted to take the out of bounds out of play so I think, strategy-wise, it worked out well in the end.

“I wasn’t really nervous because in a play-off, you’ve just got to win. Worst case you’re going to finish second, so you’ve got to go all-in.”