Schmidt shines again to defend Tillman Trophy

July 17, 2025 | by Amit Pandey of AmateurGolf.com

Thomas Schmidt (Arkansas State photo)

Germany’s Thomas Schmidt holds off the home favorites to defend his Tillman Trophy title at The Caversham—this time, wire to wire

Germany’s Thomas Schmidt made it two in a row at the Tillman Trophy, capturing the title once again at The Caversham in Reading with a steady and impressive 10-under total of 278.

The 23-year-old from Gelsenkirchen, currently a junior at Arkansas State, led by three shots heading into the final round and closed with a cool 3-under 69 to seal the deal. It was a very different script from last year, when Schmidt came from behind with a blistering 66 to win. This time, he never gave up the lead—and never looked like he would.

England’s Jack Maxey and Will Tate finished tied for second at 8-under. Maxey fired a final-round 67 to climb the leaderboard, while Tate, playing on home turf, stayed in the hunt with a pair of closing 69s.

Schmidt, ranked 107th in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings, has been turning heads all year. Back in March, he won the UC San Diego Invitational by six shots.

In May, he set a school record for Arkansas State with a two-round 142 at the NCAA Auburn Regional. This was his 10th ranked event of the year—and his second win.
The 2025 Tillman Trophy brought together 117 players from seven countries. Only 59 made the cut, with England providing the bulk of the field. But in the end, it was Schmidt who stood tallest—again.

Results: Tillman Trophy

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Thomas Schmidt	, Germany	500	72-69-68-69=278
T2	Jack Maxey	, England	400	72-71-70-67=280
T2	Will Tate	, England	400	74-69-69-68=280
4	Brandon Skidmore	, England	300	73-71-70-67=281
T5	Oliver Baker	, Wales	300	77-67-74-65=283

View full results for Tillman Trophy

About the Tillman Trophy

Schmidt shines again to defend Tillman Trophy

Stroke play over 72 holes. After 36 holes on day one, the leading 44 competitors and ties will play a further 36 holes on day two. The Winner shall be the competitor who returns the lowest scratch score over 72 holes. TOURNAMENT BACKGROUND Bill Tillm...