Thomas Detry became the latest winner on the PGA Tour as he produced a fine final round at the WM Phoenix Open to win by seven shots and record the first win of his career in the USA.
Detry went into the final round clear of the pack and while Daniel Berger briefly threatened to close the gap, the Belgian came to life in the final stretch to pull clear.
Detry’s performance included a simply stunning shot on the 16th hole as he closed the door on any challengers before he went on to birdie 17 and 18 to win easily.
The 32-year-old becomes the first Belgian to win on the PGA Tour and as he strolled up 18, the emotion was clear.
However, as ever, his caddie came in use in the key moment.
Thomas Detry shares conversations with his caddie after winning the WM Phoenix Open
Speaking to the media immediately after holing his final putt to finish 24-under, Detry was asked about that walk up 18 to be crowned a winner.
And according to Detry, it took a comment from his caddie to make him realise what he’d achieved.
“It was what dreams were made of, honestly,” Detry commented. “That last walk on the last hole was incredible. Everything goes so quickly that you don’t really have time to enjoy, luckily my caddie was there to tell me to enjoy the moment.
“It’s pretty special. I have given myself plenty of chances in the past and never been able to conclude. Being able to put a statement out like that is pretty incredible. So I am just over the moon, so happy.
Thomas Detry reveals the secret behind his brilliant shot on 16 at the WM Open
The highlight of the round – apart from the win – was Detry’s simply stunning shot on 16 to within a foot.
And going into the detail behind that shot, Detry admitted that he’d used the previous hole and Daniel Berger to get an idea of what club to hit.
“I was telling my caddie that Daniel had made birdie on 15 and he hit a nine iron and it looked like he hit a hard nine iron and it went over the green.
“So I kind of used that information to take a little bit off mine and it almost went past pin high, so I need to thank Daniel for that but considering the circumstances one of the best shots of the week and my life, for sure.”
Detry becomes a winner on TOUR for the first time in his 68th attempt. With a Ryder Cup in 2025, he could very much be one to watch for Luke Donald.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
