Thomas Detry builds five-shot lead in bid for first title entering final round of Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE – Belgium’s Thomas Detry has yet to raise a trophy following a PGA Tour event, so he will improvise his mental approach going into the final round of the Phoenix Open at Scottsdale, Arizona.

After his third-round, six-under 65 on Feb 8, he has a five-shot lead with 18 holes remaining.

“It’s OK to think about it, but then try to come back in the present,” Detry said. “I think that will be the key (for Sunday).”

Detry moved to 18-under 195 overall with a group of four at 13 under. Americans Daniel Berger (66), Jordan Spieth (67), Michael Kim (68) and Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard (65) share second place.

The 32-year-old Detry had birdies on four of the first five holes and tallied three more to override his one bogey.

“Getting off to such a good start was kind of the dream,” he said.

His strong third round followed a 66 and 64 in the first two days of the tournament.

Detry, after hitting his drive into a bunker on No. 18, closed the round with a par putt from about 19 feet.

“Definitely pretty happy with the way I handled the whole day,” he said.

Berger said he is aware that Detry has not won on the tour and will be intent on doing what he can do to challenge for the top spot.

“Really just keep doing the things that I’ve been doing and make birdies,” he said. “That’s what I’ve got to do. I’ve got to make birdies.”

Hojgaard likes being in contention in a tournament with an electric atmosphere.

“It’s what we all try to do,” he said. “We just try to embrace the crowds and how loud it is.”

Hojgaard moved to six under on the day after an eagle on the par-five 13th. He washed that away with a double-bogey on the par-five 15th after his tee shot went into the water. It got worse.

“I was being a bit aggressive trying to get there in three and save my par, and hit another one in the water,” said Hojgaard, who rallied to birdie two of the next three holes.

Spieth, meanwhile, has not won on the PGA Tour since 2022, but he is gaining confidence.

“To be able to shoot a score like this where the pins were, and they were a lot harder today,” he said. “So to be able to do that with not my best stuff makes me feel even better because it takes a little bit of pressure off maybe trying to be perfect and coming back.”

Now, he will see if he has enough to make a final-round charge.

“I’ve had a good history here, so we’ll see how I continue to progress on other courses,” Spieth said. “But (Sunday), I’m going to have to hit more fairways because I’m going to have to hit it closer to try to catch Thomas.”

Maverick McNealy made a big move with a 63 – the best round of the day and tied with the best round of the tournament – to hold sixth place at 12 under.

“The putter got hot,” he said. “There were a bunch of challenging pins to hit it close to with the firmness of the greens, and I did a good job.”

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (68) is tied for 10th place at 10 under.

On the LPGA Tour, Yealimi Noh birdied eight of her last 11 holes to seize a one-stroke lead at 18-under 195 after three rounds of the Founders Cup on Feb 8 at Bradenton (Florida) Country Club.

Her eight-under 63 pushed her one ahead of South Korea’s Ko Jin-young, the second-round leader and a three-time winner of this tournament. Ko followed her 63 on Feb 7 with a bogey-free five-under 66. REUTERS