Belgium’s Thomas Detry may not be a household name—but he did handily win his first PGA Tour event at the WM Phoenix Open, a more sedate version of the tournament that was criticized last year for challenges with unruly spectators.
Detry’s first
Detry, 32, was ranked 58 in the world coming into the tournament. And though he’s had his opportunities—he finished 4th at last year’s PGA Championship, for example—he’s never won on the PGA Tour. That changed with a runaway win that saw him 7-shots ahead of Michael Kim. Detry expected to struggle to deal with his emotions, but that was never a factor on Sunday. He was 5-under on the back nine to shoot 65 in the final round, and finish at 24-under for the tournament. He made 28 total birdies over four rounds in the desert.
“It’s all about how you deal with those emotions,” Detry said. “It’s okay to think about it, but then try to come back in the present. That’s what meditation can help you with, like when your mind kind of spirals and goes into the future like that, forward thinking, and that’s kind of where you need to be sharp and recognize that moment and going back into the present.”
Spieth’s comeback underway
Jordan Spieth has struggled with a wrist injury since 2023 that required surgery last August. He made his first start after the surgery at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but appeared at the WM Phoenix Open like the Spieth of old, making great escapes and lots of birdies. Spieth shot 68 in the final round to finish in a tie for fourth. It was his best finish since the Heritage in April 2023.
Spieth was pleased with the progress after finally being pain-free.
“It’s a long road ahead,” Spieth said. “This is certainly ahead of schedule for this week. I’ve had a good history here, so we’ll see how I continue to progress on other courses.”
Ace at 16
The 16th hole has been the focus of incredible attention in recent years, but not often because of the golf on display. The rowdy hole, which has tens of thousands of spectators in stands surrounding it, has seen beer cans thrown onto the green, golfers remove their shirts and other incidents that you typically don’t see at a PGA Tour event.
The hole, which played around 160 yards, had 69 birdies. But it was Emiliano Grillo’s amazing ace in the second round that really excited the crowd. Grillo’s tee shot found nothing but the cup, disappearing for an ace. It was the only ace on 16 over the course of the week.
Canadian success continues
Six Canadians were in the field, and all six made the cut. Abbotsford, BC’s Adam Hadwin had the best week, backdooring a T9 finish with a 66 on Sunday. It was Hadwin’s first Top 10 since last June.