International Series India: Schniederjans bounces back from hip replacement surgeries to claim trophy, Bryson DeChambeau finishes 2nd

GURUGRAM: When Ollie Schniederjans looked at his reflection in the shiny new trophy, his mind may have struggled to comprehend the journey he had been through. It was an uphill walk for the boyish 31-year-old, whose last win came nine years before on the USPGA's 2nd-tier Korn Ferry Tour.
Unlucky with injuries throughout his professional career, the Georgia Tech alumnus had replacement surgery on both hips in 2022 and returned 12 months later, only to lose his KFT full playing privileges because he "was working through his injuries". "I had a new body and a new swing," he said. "But I knew a win was coming."
The top amateur had earlier in his career come close on the PGA Tour with 1 runner-up finish and three third-place finishes but lost his way in the daily grind.
There was no bigger grind than the DLF G&CC's Gary Player course this week, and Schniederjans was the only golfer to go underpar in all four rounds.
That proved the difference in the first International Series of the season, as top players who were welcomed to a grand reception in India, struggled with their rhythm and the tough undulating layout. His 10-under total included three consecutive 3-under 69s and that was enough for a four-stroke victory over Dallas citymate, the more illustrious Bryson DeChambeau.
"He beat me multiple times in college," the reigning US Open champ said later.
The crowdpuller shook off the rust to bring in the best card of this tournament at the LIV Golf-backed $2million IS India presented by DLF, a 7-under 65, but it was little late. One can't say too little because the two-time Major winner is all about over-the-top shots.
But was it the four-shot drop over the week on the visually intimidating par-4 17th that took its toll? Certainly the double bogey in the morning to finish his incomplete third round at the Asian Tour elite event was a major reason.
"It really hurt. I played that hole at four over this week. It’s just an iron-wedge shot, and it beat me," he wondered why. "I’m not pleased with how I struck the ball for some reason. It’s strange because I was hitting it so well just a week and a half ago," the 'scientist' had a problem to solve.
With shotgun starts to the third and fourth rounds after daily delays due to fog, the ones who made the cut went through the rigours of playing 27 holes on Sunday.
With nine holes to go in the morning to finish the third round, it seemed a battle among two former World No. 1 amateurs - Chilean leader Joaquin Niemann who was looking in control with only one bogey over two rounds and a half, the under-the-radar Schniederjans three strokes behind - and the 2022 Japan Tour Money winner Kazuki Higa, just a stroke off the lead.
As the unadventurous plumped down on the bean bags to watch the proceedings on a giant screen, there were high notes of surprise as Niemann went into self-destruction mode, dropping six strokes in six holes to slump from 7-under to 1-under going into the final round. With a three-stroke gain to 7-under, it was Ollie who seized the day and he didn't let go.
Making the turn at 1-under, the reserve LIV player added three more birdies including an outrageous chip-in on 13, before conceding a harmless bogey on the 17th. The man who refuses to wear a cap to hide his flowing mane, concealed his emotions until he found himself with a short par putt on the 18th. There was a light hug for his brother Ben, who was on the bag.
Anirban Lahiri finished tied-10th with a final-round 68, while rising amateur Kartik Singh closed with a 75 to be tied-53rd.