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Ryder Cup hopeful makes stunning PGA Tour breakthrough
By Martin Dempster - The ScotsmanThomas Detry creates history as first Belgian to land victory on US circuit !Thomas Detry reckons he’d be ready for a Ryder Cup debut at Bethpage Page Black in September after winning for the first time on the PGA Tour in front of rowdy American fans in the WM Phoenix Open.
The 32-year-old created history by becoming the first Belgian to taste victory on the US circuit and did so in style as he finished with four straight birdies in a closing 65 at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona to win by seven shots.
“Incredible,” said Detry of his success, which came in his 68th start on the PGA Tour. “I felt nervous yesterday morning, and last night didn't sleep great. I woke up this morning early, 4am, couldn't fall back asleep.
“But I kind of really trusted myself. I felt like I've been doing a lot of really good things in the past to put myself in that position, and I felt like I was kind of ready to win. So, deep inside, this one nobody was going to take it away from me.”
Detry, who won on the Challenge Tour in 2016 and had come close a few times to landing a maiden DP World Tour victory before securing his PGA Tour card, is up to second in the FedEx Cup Standings behind Austrian Sepp Straka.
The win also boosted Detry’s hopes of becoming just the third Belgian to play in the Ryder Cup after Nicolas Colsaerts (2012) and Thomas Pieters (2016).
“I feel like the atmosphere at Bethpage would be pretty similar to this, especially for me as a European. Lots of people
“The Ryder Cup is something that I really want to be part of. I don't want to say it's a goal. Like I don't play golf this year to reach that Ryder Cup team. I think my good game and my achieving my goals will kind of naturally qualify me for the Ryder Cup team.
“I've been watching the Ryder Cup now on TV every single year, and being part of it would definitely be a dream. But I'm not really getting ahead of myself. I'm not getting over-excited. It's still a very long way away. There's still lots of golf to be played.”
Bob MacIntyre, who partnered Detry in last year’s Zurich Classic in New Orleans, recorded his first top-ten finish of the new PGA Tour season after ending up in joint-sixth.
The Genesis Scottish Open champion had moved into a tie for second after stiffing his tee shot at the par-3 12th to be four under for the day.
However, he was then unable to make birdies at either the 13th or 15th - two par 5s - as he signed off with a 67 to end up on 15 under par.
The Oban man would have been slightly disappointed at the end but, nonetheless, it was a solid week’s work heading into the next Signature Event, the Genesis Invitational starting at Torrey Pines on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a closing 74 - her worst round of the week - left Gemma Dryburgh having to settle for joint-39th behind American Yealimi Noh in the LPGA’s Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands in Florida.
shouting at me,” said Detry with a smile of September’s clash in New York.
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PGA Tour RSM Classic
MAVERICK MCNEALY FIRES 62 FOR SHARE OF LEAD AT RSM CLASSICMaverick McNealy and Michael Thorbjornsen are tied for the lead after one round of The RSM Classic on Thursday in St. Simons Island, Ga.At the finale of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall series, golfers are playing Sea Island Golf Club's two courses over the first two days of the tournament. McNealy began the week at the par-70 Seaside Course and fired an 8-under-par 62, with one eagle, six birdies and no bogeys on his card.Thorbjornsen, meanwhile, shot a bogey-free, 8-under 64 at the par-72 Plantation Course. They will switch courses on Friday before everyone who makes the cut plays the Seaside Course on Saturday and Sunday.McNealy and Thorbjornsen are one shot ahead of Andrew Novak, who posted a 7-under 65 at the Plantation Course.PGA Tour rookie Adrien Dumont de Chassart of Belgium recorded a career-low 64 at the Seaside Course to get his week going, and he's in a tie for fourth at 6 under with Chandler Phillips (66, Plantation).It's the final opportunity for Dumont de Chassart to climb into the top 125 of the FedEx Cup Fall points standings in order to earn a full PGA Tour card for 2025. As it stands after Thursday, he would jump from No. 142 to No. 124 in the standings. Thorbjornsen can benefit this week, as well; he'd rocket from No. 138 to No. 77 in points if the tournament ended today.McNealy, 29, began his round on the back nine at Seaside and was 2 under par when he reached the par-5 15th. He chipped in for eagle from almost 58 feet away."I drove it awesome. Iron play was about as good as it's been all year," McNealy said. "The last three tournaments it's really been great and that's the part of my game I've wanted to improve the most. I chipped in today, got everything up and down and putted awesome today, too. There's really nothing weak out there."McNealy entered the week No. 52 in the fall standings. He's guaranteed to finish the fall in the top 60, which qualifies him for two signature events in 2025. But to get in the 2025 season opener -- the Sentry in Kapalua, Hawaii -- McNealy must win an event, something he's yet to do in his tour career."I started the fall wanting to be in the top 60 and now that that's pretty much taken care of, (caddie Scout McNealy) and I want to get to Kapalua," he said.Thorbjornsen, 23, was back in contention after he had to withdraw from his last start at the Black Desert Championship with a knee issue."We got an MRI a couple days later and I sprained my ACL and LCL," Thorbjornsen explained. "So really glad that nothing was torn. I thought I might have torn my meniscus or something like that. Yeah, we've just been doing rehab and PT for the past three, four weeks now."Novak, 29, makes his home in St. Simons and would love nothing more than to get his first career PGA Tour victory there."It's a home event so there's always a little bit more pressure maybe just because you've got people in town, it's your home course, you want to win, you want to do well," he said.Swedish star Ludvig Aberg, the defending champion, struggled to a 3-over 73 at the Seaside Course and is on track to miss Friday's cut.Inquirer Golf
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Hayston Golf Club Pro-Am / Friday 21st June
- We are delighted to announce that we are bringing the a Pro AM back to Hayston this year!
This is a fantastic chance to play with one of Scotland’s top PGA Professionals aas well as win some amazing prizes on the day.
The cost to enter is £300 per team of 3 and includes lunch.
If you would like to enter please contact gm@haystongolf.co.uk