The Major Quest continued two weeks later in Bahrain: The Bapco energies Championship — a DP World Tour stop held from 29 Jan – 1 Feb 2026 at the Bahrain Royal Golfclub. This Championship was first held in 2024 and has been part of the Middle East swing ever since. Bahrain is a destination full of vibes and entertainment. A weekend in Bahrain to catch up with old friends was the perfect opportunity to continue the Major Quest.
There were 2 major champions in the field.
I felt quite relaxed when I began my preparations, as it is widely known that both Patrick and Sergio are very approachable when it comes to signing autographs, even before their rounds. I had missed the chance to meet Patrick Reed at the Dubai Invitational two weeks earlier, and with the announcement that he would be leaving LIV Golf, I knew this would likely be my best opportunity to secure his signature. My plan was to obtain both of their autographs on the first day, allowing me to spend the remainder of the weekend catching up with old friends.
Day 1: Thursday 29 January 2026
The Royal Golf Club in Bahrain was a venue I had not visited before, so as usual, I needed to do some planning upon arrival. I familiarized myself with the layout, identifying key locations such as the clubhouse, the players’ exit points, and the recording office, driving range and putting green. Prior to arriving, I was aware that the tournament would operate with a two-tee start format, featuring both a morning and an afternoon wave of players. Sergio was scheduled in the morning wave with a tee time of 6:40 a.m., while Patrick was set to begin in the afternoon wave at 11:30 a.m. To secure Patrick’s signature, I needed to approach him before he began his preparations, ideally as he exited the clubhouse. For Sergio, my opportunity would come after he completed his round, near the recording office. Given these timings, my strategy was to focus first on Patrick Reed and then turn my attention to Sergio later in the day.
I arrived at the course at around 8:00 a.m. By that time, the morning wave of players was already well underway on the course, while none of the players from the afternoon wave had begun their warm-up routines. The driving range and putting green were virtually empty, and the tournament staff were busy preparing the facilities for the second wave. After purchasing a few caps from the merchandise store for the Minor Quest and grabbing a couple of coffees, I was ready. Sergio was already out on the course, and Patrick’s tee time was still three and a half hours away.
Patrick Reed is known as one of the hardest workers on the golf circuit. He typically arrives at the putting green about two hours before his tee time, and once he completes a round, he often heads straight to the range to continue working on his game—regardless of whether he has had a good or a bad round. It is no surprise that he won the Dubai Desert Classic the previous week. Knowing Patrick’s routine, I planned to be at the players’ exit of the clubhouse at around 9:30 a.m. to meet him. With about an hour to spare, I took the opportunity to follow Sergio for a few holes as he was just making the turn. I walked alongside Sergio, Julien Guerrier, and Daniel Hillier down the first and second holes—they had started their round on the tenth—before heading back toward the practice area. However, when I returned to the putting green, I saw something that I did not want to see.
As I walked off the course toward the putting green, I could already make out from a distance that a player and a caddie were there. I anxiously quickened my pace and I realized that Patrick had already come out and was about to begin his warm-up. I was a few minutes late and I had missed him at the clubhouse exit. He was the only player on the putting green so far. I briefly considered whether I should ask him to come over for the signature. Surely he wouldn’t mind—but was it the right moment to interrupt his preparation? Or should I wait patiently, accepting that another opportunity had slipped by? In the end, I chose not to disturb him and decided to wait. I stayed near the putting green and watched as a few other players arrived to begin their preparations. At one point, Andrew Johnston (Beef) found a spot right in front of me. Known as one of the great characters on tour, he lived up to that reputation. After finishing his putting warm-up, he kindly took the time to sign a cap for me—an excellent gesture and a reminder of why he is so well liked.
When collecting autographs from well-known figures, you can make all the plans in the world, yet there is never any guarantee that you will obtain the signature. The opposite is true as well, opportunities sometimes arise when you least expect them. It soon became clear that Patrick had finished his putting warm-up and was preparing to move on to the driving range. At the Bahrain Royal Golf Club, the driving range is not particularly accessible to the public, unlike at many other venues, which makes it difficult to approach players as they head there from the putting green. Patrick lingered for a while, receiving congratulations from fellow players and caddies for his victory at the Dubai Desert Classic the previous week. He was clearly enjoying the moment. Then, somewhat unexpectedly, he began walking in my direction. I was standing near the entrance to the tournament officials’ office, and it seemed he needed to head inside. This was my chance. I asked him if he could sign the plaque commemorating his 2018 Masters win. He took a minute to look at the plaque and signed it. I wished him good luck for his round, and just like that, when I thought I missed my chance, I could secure his signature. Patience and waiting at the right location definitely pays off.
With Patrick’s signature ticked off, it was time to redirect my focus on Sergio. I estimated that Sergio must be around the fourth green by now, leaving him 5 holes to play. I needed to be at the recording office when he completed his round. It gave me roughly an hour and half to eat something. I had a ticket for the 18th hole grandstand and thus headed that way. It was only a 2 minute walk from there to the recording office. I spent the next hour overlooking the 18th green enjoying the action as players repeatedly produced high-quality shots into this not easy par-4 finishing hole.
I could follow Sergio’s progress on the big screen, so I knew exactly where he was on the golf course. By the time he was midway through his 18th hole of the day, I made my way toward the recording office, where he would need to go to submit his scorecard. A few other fans were gathered in the same area, but the crowd was relatively small. I also noticed the absence of younger fans, which further increased my confidence that I would have a good opportunity to approach Sergio.
After waiting for about 30 minutes at the recording office, Sergio arrived. There were two possible moments to approach him: either before he entered the recording office or after he came back out. Since the area was not crowded – there was only 1 other fan waiting for Sergio – I took my chance and I approached him as he was walking into the recording office. Luck was on my side. Sergio stopped and signed the plaque marking his 2017 Masters win. Many thanks Sergio!
With both signatures now collected and my main objectives accomplished, I could finally relax and enjoy a walk around the back nine. I headed down the 10th hole before making my way back along the 18th. Before leaving the course, I also managed to have a few additional caps signed by Dylan Frittelli, Daniel Hillier, and Joost Luiten. My thanks to them for contributing to my Minor Quest collection.
My experiences at this second quest, confirmed two things that I already knew. First, careful planning and positioning is required to increase my chances of obtaining the signatures. And second, this is really a fun thing to do. Important to keep in mind as well is that sometimes you need to have a little luck. And that comes when you expect it the least!
Since I secured the necessary signatures for the Major Quest, I did not come back the next day, opting to spend some time with old friends who live in Bahrain. This was a great second Quest and I am already looking forward to Quest 3!
