In a stunning comeback story, Ollie Schniederjans outplayed some of golf’s biggest names to win the Asian Tour’s International Series India by four shots on Sunday. What makes his victory even more remarkable? He did it just two years after having both hips replaced.
The former World No.1 amateur finished at an impressive 10-under par at the challenging DLF Golf and Country Club near Delhi. He was one of only four players to break par for the tournament.
LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau tried to mount a late charge, firing a brilliant 65 in the final round. But it wasn’t enough to catch Schniederjans, who kept his cool with a steady 69.
“It means a lot to me,” said the 31-year-old American, who had his brother Ben on the bag. “This golf course is really tough, and I honestly wouldn’t have handled it well in the past. My game’s so much better now, even after everything I’ve been through.”
The tournament faced daily delays due to thick morning fog, with players having to finish their third rounds early Sunday before heading straight into the final round.
But Schniederjans didn’t let the unusual schedule faze him. He started hot with a birdie on the first hole and kept his momentum going, including a spectacular chip-in birdie at the 13th that had the crowd roaring.
His journey back to competitive golf wasn’t easy. “There were setbacks that took me years to overcome,” Schniederjans explained. “I’ve only been able to play regularly for about a year now, but I knew something like this was coming.”
DeChambeau, who finished second, remained positive despite coming up short. “I scored really well and made some great putts,” he said. “But I’m not totally happy with how I struck the ball. I’ll need to figure that out before LIV Riyadh next week.”
Joaquin Niemann and Abraham Ancer tied for third at 5-under par.
The tournament also saw a glimpse of golf’s future, as 15-year-old Indian amateur Kartik Singh became the youngest player from his country to make the cut on the Asian Tour. He finished T53rd, showing impressive composure against the pros.
Former LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman was on hand to witness Schniederjans’s triumph, which marks one of the most inspiring comebacks in recent golf history.
