Before they turned pro: Thomas Detry
2/9/2025 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
Thomas Detry made history this weekend, becoming the first Belgian player to win on the PGA Tour with his victory at the WM Phoeni
Thomas Detry made history this weekend, becoming the first Belgian player to win on the PGA Tour with his victory at the WM Phoenix Open.
As a junior, Detry was selected for the 2010 Junior Ryder Cup team, which lost to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, leaders of Team USA that year. Conveniently, Spieth and Thomas were attempting to give chase to Detry coming down the home stretch this week.
Before turning professional in 2016, Detry played collegiate golf at the University of Illinois. His best scoring average was 70.76 in his junior season, and he finished with a career average of 71.72.
He was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2013 and the Big Ten Golfer of the Year in 2015. He played alongside fellow Belgian Thomas Pieters, two years his elder. As a senior, he closed out his college career with a victory at the 2016 Big Ten Championships.
Other Amateur Victories:
- 2009 Riverwoods Junior Open
- 2010 Belgian National Juniors
- 2011 Grand Prix AFG
- 2011 King's Prize
- 2011 Belgium National Match Play
- 2012 Championnat de Ligue Amateur
- 2012 Grand Prix AFG
- 2013 European Challenge Trophy (individual)
- 2013 Belgian International Amateur
- 2013 Wolf Run Intercollegiate
- 2014 Sagamore Fall Preview
- 2015 Louisiana Classics, Boilermaker Invitational
- 2016 Big Ten Championship
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