“Last week you finished 33rd in the Genesis Invitational. What do you remember from your tournament?
I’m quite happy with my level of play, but unfortunately quite disappointed with my result. On the PGA Tour, you don’t get very, very far by finishing outside the top 30. You get a few world points, but that doesn’t do much for FedEx points. You really have to look for these top 20, these top 15 or even these top 10, that’s where we really make the difference. It’s better to miss four cuts and make a top 10 than to chain five top 35s…
“As soon as Tiger makes a birdie, it resonates, it’s just extraordinary, it’s madness”
At the driving range, you tapped with Jon Rahm, who would go on to win the tournament and become world No. 1 again. Is it impressive to watch?
Very impressive yes. At any level, moreover, at the driving range, at the short game, at putting, his creativity, at the bunker. That’s crazy. He plays almost all the time in fade, he is powerful with his ¾ swing. It is even difficult to understand how it will seek so much power. But, I feel like saying he’s not as impressive as Rory McIlroy. I’ve always been a fan of Rory, I’ve always found his acting super sexy, he’s still my number 1. But Jon Rahm is really impressive.
This Genesis Invitational was marked by the return of Tiger Woods. What does he bring to a tournament?
When Tiger is around, it’s just amazing. No one is following Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas or the other players. Everyone is really rushing Tiger. The Riviera Country Club is still a small course, there is not the same Tiger Crowd that we see on the majors. But as the course is in a small basin, in a small valley, as soon as Tiger makes a birdie, it resonates and it’s just extraordinary. It’s crazy.
And what did you think of the episode of his joke? Tiger Woods left a tampon in Justin Thomas’ hand after driving past him on the 9th hole.
Tiger’s joke is not my delusion. Tiger and Justin get along very well, they make jokes non stop, it’s their trip to them. But when you see the proportions it has taken on social networks… We all know that Tiger didn’t mean to offend anyone. I found all these people who took it badly and were shocked quite painful.
What will be your program for the rest of your season?
I will play mainly on the PGA Tour. It is essential to finish in the top 70 of the FedEx Cup, it would guarantee me to enter all the tournaments for 2024. I will of course come back to Belgium for the Soudal Open in Antwerp. Then, of course, the PGA Tour season ends at the end of August so I could come back to Europe to play a few tournaments and why not play the Ryder Cup.
“He has the ability to play and be a hit on the PGA Tour, but he decided to take another path, the easy path”
Thomas Detry, about his compatriot Thomas Pieters
Your compatriot Thomas Pieters made another choice by joining the LIV.
I really didn’t expect that. I knew he had thought of it. Especially this summer, he was close to signing with them. Then finally, he said to himself: ‘no, I don’t want to do it, I want to focus on the Ryder Cup and the Majors’. Last Thursday, I was online with Jérôme Theunis, our coach. He was training with Pieters in the Netherlands and LIV had made no offers. As the season starts this week, I think there was a rather attractive last minute offer, on Friday morning or Thursday evening. Personally, I’m very disappointed because I was happy to start the PGA Tour adventure with him. He’s a great guy who has the ability to play and be a hit on the PGA Tour, but he decided to take another path, which for me is the easy path. For me, it’s a short-term view, but it’s his choice, I’m not going to judge. In any case, I’m disappointed that one of my best friends left for the other side. »
