Thomas Detry is the latest player to add his name to the list of PGA Tour winners after he held his nerve to win the WM Phoenix Open.
Detry never really looked in trouble and when he stuffed a fine iron shot on the famous par three 16th to within a foot for birdie, it was game over the chasing pack.
Among those chasing him were big names and frequent winners on the TOUR like Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger.
However, one man who wasn’t in contention was world number one Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler surprisingly struggled with his irons and finished down in 25th in the end. Scheffler also had a meltdown in the second round, where he hit his bag with his club in anger, much to the surprise of many.
Still, while Scheffler wasn’t in contention, Detry still found time to mention him post-round.
Thomas Detry makes Scottie Scheffler admission after winning at TPC Scottsdale
Naturally, as a first-time winner, Thomas Detry was trying to remain as humble as possible in his post-round interview.
And in doing so, he admitted he’s very much looking at Scottie Scheffler in terms of getting more wins on the board.
“I mean, winning has been a goal of mine for the last four or five years. Every year I’m like, this is the year I’m going to win, so this is amazing,” Detry commented.
“I think reaching TOUR Championship is definitely one of the goals. Reaching TOUR Champ, it’s massive. I missed out by only a couple of shots last year, and I was very disappointed.
But my goal is just to perform as good as I can all over the world. I’m still a very big fan of the DP World Tour. I still like to go back in the fall and play all those DP World Tour events and qualify for the Race to Dubai. It’s great. This is where I grew up and learned to play golf and where I started my professional career.”
Going on to mention Scheffler, Detry then admitted it’s all about consistency and eventually, becoming just like Scheffler.
“My goals are just to keep playing well and keep putting myself in contention and hopefully improve in these situations. 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.”
Why Thomas Detry really impressed Justin Thomas at TPC Scottsdale
There was a point in the final round where Detry looked vulnerable as his tee shots kept going awry and the likes of Berger and Spieth were pushing, while Michael Kim was also playing well.
However, when it mattered, Detry kept shutting the door.
On particular shot of note was his tee shot on 16 which landed with a foot of the hole for an easy birdie.
Indeed, it was so impressive that Justin Thomas couldn’t help but praise Detry for holding his nerve as he did.
“I don’t. I remember we’re around the same age as we played against each other a lot, and he’s really, really good, freakishly talented, hits the ball a long way,” Thomas said.
“He’s a good dude, too, so it’s not surprising to see him play that well. That shot he just hit on 16 was absurd in the situation. So yeah, obviously there’s plenty of golf left, but he’s been very impressive.”
After finishing second so many times, the win could well be a monkey off Detry’s back, with a run at being in Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup squad very much possible.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
