Thomas Detry has earned his first PGA Tour win at arguably the biggest non-major venue – TPC Scottsdale for the WM Phoenix Open. This stop is always full of chaos and the (in)famous 16th par-3 where the players make or break their rounds.
Imagine the jitters you’d have leading the tournament, like Detry, and approaching the 16th tee to tons of cheering that could easily turn to booing depending on how you strike the ball. Keep reading to see how Detry fared…
But first, the fun stats: shooting 24-under par for the week, Detry beat Michael Kim and Daniel Berger by seven strokes. The two-time Belgian Olympian had never won on the PGA Tour or DP World Tour until Sunday.
Detry took control of the tournament Saturday, shooting a 6-under 65 to give him some breathing room on Sunday. Heading into the final round, Detry had a commanding five-stroke lead over Jordan Spieth, Rasmus Hojgaard, Kim and Berger. Detry tied with Justin Thomas for total strokes gained during the tournament.
“I think you’ll think about [the chance of winning] no matter what. It’s all about how you deal with those emotions,” Detry said Saturday night. “It’s okay to think about it, but then try to come back in the present.”
Detry started his final round by making birdie, bogey and then birdie on the first three holes. He then made six consecutive pars for an opening-nine score of 34. But it wasn’t until the final few holes when he put the tournament away, almost sending the crowd into a frenzy by hitting his tee shot to a foot and half for a tap-in birdie on 16. With this victory, Detry becomes the first Belgian winner on the PGA Tour.
“This course, there are birdies out there, but once you start missing fairways, those tricky pin positions and the firm greens…the course can bite you. So, I was able to trust my game and kind of rely on that,” Detry said after winning Sunday.
Berger and Spieth, both coming back from major injuries, made pushes Sunday but never got within three strokes of Detry.
“I tried to just do my best to put pressure on him, but every time I felt like I made a birdie, he made one back. He was playing really great golf today and he was deserving to win this,” Berger said.
Meanwhile on Friday, Emiliano Grillo dunked his tee shot on the famous 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. This was the first hole in one on the 16th since 2022, when Sam Ryder and Carlos Ortiz both aced it.
On the more disappointing side of the spectrum, FSU’s Luke Clanton missed earning his last PGA Tour University point by one stroke this week. But he’ll be back, and we have no doubt he’ll cross that finish line.
Next week, the PGA Tour heads back to Torrey Pines for the Genesis Invitational, another signature event. Though the tournament normally takes place at Riviera Country Club, the wildfires in California forced a change in venue. Tournament host Tiger Woods will make his season debut while last year’s winner Hideki Matsuyama will look to defend his title.
