Thomas Detry (-18) is the standout leader of the WM Phoenix Open after the third round. The Belgian continues to play at TPC Scottsdale with surgical precision. He has hit 49 out of 54 greens and today delivered a card of 65 strokes, the best of the day. Simply a whirlwind. The things Detry does when he goes into demolition mode.
Detry’s problem is not playing golf very well, nor is it consistency, and certainly not the aesthetics and efficiency of his swing, one of the most praised in the world from the most academic point of view. His shortcoming is closing out tournaments, in the mental part of the competition. In his performance when it really matters. We promise, dear Thomas, it’s not our intention to put pressure on you, but it’s really your time…
The really strange thing is that Detry hasn’t yet won a tournament on the DP World Tour or the PGA Tour. On this side of the Atlantic, he has gone out three Sundays as a leader (Mauritius 2020, Scotland 2021, and Nedbank 2022) and in all of them, he fell short. He has played 161 tournaments on the European circuit and, although he has no wins, he has 31 top 10s, just under a fifth, and 15 top 5s. He has been in position to win many times, but has never managed to take the final step. His only victory in a tournament counting towards the world ranking was at the Bridgestone Challenge 2016. That was a while ago.
Detry has another trial by fire this Sunday. Yet another. It’s time to show he can cross to the other side. It’s time to show he has a place, why not, in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage in September. A victory would be a giant step towards this goal. Practically no one doubts that the day Thomas can overcome this hurdle, he will be one of the best in the world.
Five strokes of advantage are a lot. He has never been in such a situation. The difference should give him the necessary calm, but those coming from behind won’t give it to him for free. Five strokes behind are Michael Kim, Daniel Berger, Jordan Spieth, and Rasmus Hojgaard. All of them have already won on the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour. The first three, moreover, are from the legendary 1993 generation. Watch out for this.
Spieth is delivering his best performance on the American circuit in almost two years. Needless to say, the American public is with him. He also has the pressure of not having been in that position for a long time, the good thing is that he is five strokes behind and has almost nothing to lose. Spieth is reminding us of his best version and the PGA Tour smiles.
Don’t lose sight of Scottie Scheffler (-10) either. The World Number One has signed a three-under-par in the last six holes to give himself a chance. Obviously, he is behind Detry. If the Belgian falters, he is actually only three strokes from second place. That said, rarely has he been seen with a higher level of frustration than this week. Today, for instance, he slammed a club into his bag after sending his ball into the water and threw it to the ground. These are not usual gestures from Scheffler. It’s curious that the more praise he has received for his attitude on the course, especially from Rory McIlroy, the more impatient he seems. That said, he is tenth and does nothing but play under par. Another level.
