The back nine at TPC Scottsdale is known for producing some of the most compelling drama on the PGA Tour, often in the form of playoffs that spill into the pre-Super Bowl festivities.
Leave it to Thomas Detry to end things early this year.
Detry built a five-shot lead entering Sunday’s final round of the WM Phoenix Open and then kept the field at arm’s length, stiff-arming every challenge, from Jordan Spieth to Daniel Berger, for his first career PGA Tour victory.
Detry’s dagger came, of all places, the stadium 16th hole, where he dropped a dime with 9-iron from 180 yards to 16 inches at the world-famous par-3.
“I think the adrenaline kind of took over a little bit,” Detry said. “I didn’t realize it was that close.”
When Detry rolled in the birdie, his fifth of the day, he pushed to 22 under and again five clear of his closest pursuers.
In football terms, Detry then ran up the score.
For added measure, he birdied Nos. 17 and 18 (to add to his other birdie at the 15th) to shoot 65 and finish at 24 under, seven clear of Michael Kim (67) and Berger (67). Spieth (68) tied for fourth at 16 under.
The 32-year-old Belgian, who was a standout at the University of Illinois, joined the PGA Tour full-time a couple seasons ago, and since then had posted a pair of runner-up finishes and some recent flashes in major championships, T-2 at last year’s PGA Championship and then a T-14 at the U.S. Open after contending into the weekend at Pinehurst.
The main knock really on Detry was that he’d only won once as a pro, the 2016 Bridgestone Challenge, a Challenger Tour event. He won that one by 12 shots, breaking Brooks Koepka’s previous record for margin of victory by two strokes.
Before Sunday’s final round, Detry didn’t sleep well, awaking at 4 a.m. and failing to fall back asleep. Nerves, Detry admitted.
“But then deep inside of me, I kind of really trusted myself,” said Detry, who spent 10 minutes meditating, something he began doing a couple years ago at the request of his wife, and jumped in an ice bath hours before his tee time. “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. So deep inside, I was kind of – yeah, this one nobody was going to take it away from me.”
Blending elite putting and reliable driving, Detry showed what can happen when he’s flagging his irons. He led the field in strokes gained: approach this week at TPC Scottsdale.
And playing alongside another hopeful Ryder Cup rookie in Rasmus Hojgaard, Detry surely caught the eye of European captain Luke Donald.
Detry certainly has proven he can handle rowdy crowds.
“I feel like the atmosphere at Bethpage would be pretty similar to this, especially for me as a European. Lots of people shouting at me,” Detry said. “But no, the Ryder Cup is something that I really want to be a part of. I don’t want to say it’s a goal. Like I don’t play golf this year to reach that Ryder Cup team. I think my good game and my achieving my goals will kind of naturally qualify me for the Ryder Cup team, and I’ve been watching the Ryder Cup now on TV every single year, and being part of it would definitely be a dream.
“But I’m not really getting ahead of myself. I’m not getting over-excited. It’s still a very long way away. There’s still lots of golf to be played.”
Detry would also love to reach the Tour Championship, and the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai finale; in his mind, he’s a global player and wants to showcase his talents on both tours.
But now that he’s got the first PGA Tour win out of the way, his main goal is to do this more often.
“Keep playing well and keep putting myself in contention and hopefully improve in these situations,” Detry added. “Like when I’m under pressure and when I’m in contention, just keep getting better at it, and hopefully I’ll be like Scottie Scheffler one day.”
Only 11 more PGA Tour wins – and 16 worldwide – to catch the world No. 1.
Scheffler’s never won by seven, though.
