Thomas Detry says he adopted a “different type of preparation” ahead of this week’s US Open – and it seems to be paying off.
The 31-year-old Belgian carded one of the best rounds of the day in his second round with a three-under 67 to rocket up the leaderboard.
Detry, who was in a tie for second when he finished his round, was particularly impressive on the greens, sinking six birdies on a tricky day at Pinehurst No.2.
Speaking after his round, Detry revealed that he and his coach decided to play practice rounds late in the afternoon, which allowed him to be out on the course all on his own and spend time getting a feel for each green.
“This week we kind of did a different type of preparation,” he said. “Instead of teeing off early with everyone, we kind of teed off at 4pm when there's literally no one on the course. It was actually amazing. There's no one on the course.
“I was spending 20 minutes on each green, kind of having a feel for the slopes, having a feel for the grass, for the greens. I thought that was pretty nice.
“Especially with the late tee times I had yesterday, it was nice to see the course. I was still on the golf course Wednesday at 7pm. Kind of see the course and the conditions of play as close to what it's going to be during tournament day.”
That extra time on the greens seems to be paying off so far, as he leads the field in putting on day two, gaining more than three strokes on the field. He is also in the top five for strokes gained putting for the week.
Detry was also happy with his ball-striking, saying he stuck to his plan of playing “target golf”.
“Really pleased. I just played target golf. I was very committed to my targets. I was hitting a lot of full shots out there. I was trying to get as much elevation as possible. Instead of knocking down 7- or 8-irons, I was trying to hit like full 9-irons and full wedges to try to get as much spin and as much height as possible. I think I did a pretty good job of it.”
Detry, who joined the PGA Tour full-time in 2023, has yet to win on the PGA or DP World Tour since going pro in 2016.
But he has come into form of late and has played some of the best golf of his career this season.
In 15 starts this year, he has four top 10s – including a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship, his best finish in a Major – and a T2 at the Houston Open.
He says he plays his best at more challenging courses – and it doesn’t get much tougher than Pinehurst No.2 at the US Open.
“I always tend to do better at courses where pars gains on the field. I feel like this week, you make a par, you gain on the field, keep moving on. I always seem to do better that way.
“It puts a little bit less pressure on my putting. When I have a birdie chance, it's like a bonus. I've done a great job of taking advantage of it today, I think.”
He hopes his experience contending at the PGA Championship will help him this weekend.
“Yeah, the top four in the PGA was great. It was nice to see that with some of the good golf I was able to compete against the best. I feel like I'm utilizing that confidence quite nicely this week. Hopefully I can keep it going for the weekend.
“My confidence is good. My play is good. I feel mentally stable as well. I think I've got all my chances. I think it's going to be a fun challenge.
“The course is not easy. There's going to be setbacks out there. You have to be prepared for it. It's all about trying to minimize the big numbers. When you're out of position, hit a shot that has a bad bounce, tough up-and-down, you have to accept the bogey in a way. I think that's going to be the key for the weekend.”
