Being in contention had always put Thomas Detry on fast-forward. His heart raced and his mind looked ahead instead of focusing on the moment.
Knowing what was at stake, the Belgian took steps to calm his nerves by meditating and taking an ice bath before each of his final two rounds at raucous TPC Scottsdale.
It paid off with his first PGA Tour victory.
Calm throughout the day, Detry nearly aced the rowdy 16th hole in a stretch of four closing birdies, shooting a 6-under 65 on Sunday to win the Phoenix Open by seven shots.
“Today I paid more attention,” Detry said. “Yesterday morning, I actually felt pretty comfortable and I did the exact same routine, and I actually felt comfortable on the first tee. I really didn’t have any nerves.”
