PHOENIX, AZ — Thomas Detry made sure there was no last-minute drama at this year’s WM Phoenix Open, delivering a commanding performance to secure his first PGA Tour victory.
A Wire-to-Wire Victory
Detry entered Sunday’s final round at TPC Scottsdale with a five-shot lead and never let his challengers get close. The 32-year-old Belgian held off Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger, sealing the win with a spectacular 9-iron approach shot to just 16 inches on the famous stadium 16th hole.
“I think the adrenaline kind of took over a little bit,” Detry said. “I didn’t realize it was that close.”
With a birdie at 16, Detry extended his lead to five shots, but he wasn’t finished. He birdied Nos. 17 and 18, capping off a final-round 65 and finishing seven strokes clear at 24-under-par. Michael Kim and Daniel Berger tied for second at 17 under, while Spieth finished fourth at 16 under.
A Long-Awaited Breakthrough
Detry, a former University of Illinois standout, joined the PGA Tour full-time a couple of seasons ago. While he had two runner-up finishes and strong major performances, including a T-2 at last year’s PGA Championship, a victory had eluded him.
His only previous professional win came at the 2016 Bridgestone Challenge, a Challenge Tour event, where he broke Brooks Koepka’s record for margin of victory with a 12-shot win.
Before Sunday’s final round, Detry struggled to sleep, waking up at 4 a.m. But after meditating and an ice bath, he convinced himself he was ready.
“I felt like I’ve been doing a lot of really good things in the past to put myself in that position, and I felt like I was kind of ready to win,” Detry said. “So deep inside, I was kind of – yeah, this one nobody was going to take away from me.”
An Eye on the Ryder Cup
Detry’s elite putting and precise iron play helped him lead the field in strokes gained: approach this week. His performance likely caught the attention of European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald as he aims to make his debut at Bethpage Black in 2025.
“I feel like the atmosphere at Bethpage would be pretty similar to this, especially for me as a European,” Detry said. “Lots of people shouting at me.”
While Detry isn’t making the Ryder Cup his sole focus, he knows continued success will put him in contention.
“I don’t play golf this year to reach that Ryder Cup team,” he said. “I think my good game and achieving my goals will naturally qualify me for the team.”
