It is not about taking sides for or against anyone, but about assessing whether we are finally, this time, witnessing the great moment of Thomas Detry (-9), one of the three co-leaders of the Open de France after the second round, alongside Jesper Svensson (-9) and Dan Bradbury (-9).
The Belgian has today signed a card of 63 strokes at the Golf National, a result and performance that certainly have their weight: he has completed a second round free of bogeys and with eight birdies, without having holed a putt from much beyond three metres. It is not surprising at all that this player is capable of delivering such performances; let’s say it’s his trademark. Therefore, what is surprising is that he has not yet been able to win on the European circuit or the PGA Tour.
He is a special case. Detry has already played 230 tournaments counting towards the world ranking and has nine second places and only one victory, the one he achieved in 2016 on the Challenge Tour in a tournament, the Bridgestone Challenge, held in England, which he won by a margin of twelve strokes over the second-placed, a certain Thriston Lawrence, after signing a 60 on Thursday and a 63 on Sunday.
There is no need now to recall that fourth place in this year’s PGA Championship, his first top ten in a Major, or how well he is handling himself on the PGA Tour, where he has finished within the top sixty in the last two seasons. And all that, without having won yet… Therefore, it is legitimate to consider that this week, in France, his moment has finally arrived, his turning point, his definitive launchpad, also towards the Ryder Cup, why not.
Detry finished today on the 18th hole by sending the ball into the water from the tee, then hitting a superb shot from over 180 metres and still saving par by holing a putt of just over three metres. The question is whether the Belgian will ever be able to do something similar on that same 18th hole, but on Sunday. Until now, he has lacked that composure, that gift of opportunity, that control over misfortune. This is as far as we have come, Thomas. It is your moment.
Jorge Campillo (-5) delivered a card of 69 strokes today and positions himself as one of the many candidates to spoil the Belgian’s party. The Spaniard left some good chances along the way, starting with the one he had on the 1st hole, from about three and a half metres, but he also saved some tricky situations, so let’s call it even. The fact is that his game remains solid, and even on the rise.
Manu Elvira (-4) is not far from the lead either and, to begin with, by simply making this cut on French soil, he has already secured his full playing rights for 2025. Adrián Otaegui (-2) is the third and last Spaniard to make the cut.
Finally, it is mandatory to point out that the young Ukrainian Lev Grinberg (-5) signed a card at par today and has managed to make his second cut in a high-level professional tournament at the age of 16. Let’s see how far he can go.
