In seven years as a professional, Thomas Detry has yet to win a tournament on the PGA or DP World Tour.
Detry, who burst onto the golfing scene as one of the best amateurs in the world before turning pro in 2016, has two professional wins on the Challenge Tour and at the World Cup of Golf, but victory on a top-tier tour has still eluded him.
He seems to constantly pop up on leaderboards in the last few years, but hasn’t been able to get his hands on a trophy. However, thanks to a strong start at the US Open, the 31-year-old Belgian has put himself in a good position to become a surprise winner of the year’s third Major.
Detry shot a solid one-under for his first round at Pinehurst No.2, thanks to four birdies and three bogeys.
He continued his form into day two, putting the lights out to card a three-under 67 and rocket up the leaderboard. He is leading the entire field in strokes gained putting for the day so far.
His putting form at the US Open comes as no surprise if you’ve been following his recent performances on the PGA Tour this year. Putting is by far the strongest part of his game this year, gaining 0.592 strokes on the field to rank 13th on tour.
It’s been good enough for four top 10s and a runner-up finish at the Houston Open, suggesting his US Open form so far has been anything but a fluke. He also finished in a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship, his best finish in a Major of his career so far.
He has come close to winning several times on the PGA and DP World Tour in his career, with seven second-place finishes and over $12 million in prize money.
After a successful amateur career, which saw him play at the University of Illinois alongside his good friend and fellow Belgian golfer Thomas Pieters, winning numerous collegiate awards, Detry became a regular on the DP World Tour before securing his full PGA Tour card in 2022.
Detry is currently the 55th-ranked player in the world, and seems to be finally reaching his peak, especially when it comes to his putting. He is in the top 10 in putts from both 10-15 feet and 20-25 feet on the PGA Tour this year.
If he keeps rolling the rock like he has been, he could finally make it into the winner’s circle at one of the game’s biggest stages.
