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LIV Golf 2026 New Player Analysis: Thomas Detry

Jan 15, 2026 - 7:45 PMWritten by: Matt Vincenzi

LIV Golf has secured a major addition in Belgian star Thomas Detry, who will be joining 4Aces GC. 

PLAYER BIO 

Age: 33

Nationality: Belgian

Data Golf Ranking: 91st

OWGR: 56th

Career Wins: 2 (1 PGA Tour: 2025 WM Phoenix Open; 1 Challenge Tour: 2016 Bridgestone Challenge).

Career Highlights: Detry made history with a dominant seven-shot victory at the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, becoming the first Belgian to win on the PGA Tour. Co-won the 2018 World Cup of Golf with Thomas Pieters.

Best Major Finish: T4 (2024 PGA Championship).

2025 Results: Breakthrough win at WM Phoenix Open; finished 44th in FedEx Cup with 19 cuts made in 24 starts and over $3.6 million in earnings. Finished T23 at the U.S. Open at Oakmont.

Major Eligibility in 2026: Likely to receive an invite to the PGA Championship as a top-100 player in the OWGR. Potential to qualify for the U.S. Open if he’s still ranked inside the top-60 in the OWGR as of May 18, 2026.

2025 PGA TOUR RANKS 

Scoring Average: 70.56 (145th)
Driving Distance: 306.5 (58th)
Driving Accuracy: 56.75% (143rd)
Greens in Regulation: 65.18% (142nd)
Birdie Average (per tournament): 3.54 (164th)
Scrambling: 59.14% (102nd)
Strokes Gained: Approach: -0.16 (140th)
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee: +0.17 (65th)
Strokes Gained: Around the Green: -0.08 (121st)
Strokes Gained: Putting: +0.13 (69th) 

STATISTICAL PROFILE 

Although he had a down year statistically in 2025, Detry is historically power-oriented player who hits it a long way off the tee but can struggle at times with driving accuracy. He is an above average iron player who can get hot and cold on approach. He’s struggled in the past with putting under pressure, but he’s consistently gained strokes putting overall for the majority of his career.

Statistical lookalike: Thomas Pieters  

INTERESTING FACTS 

  • He started playing golf at age 5 but spent his childhood years playing tennis and field hockey before focusing seriously on golf around age 11. 

  • He's a lifelong friend of fellow Belgian and 4Aces GC player Thomas Pieters. They studied Business Management together at the University of Illinois (2012-2016), and in 2018, the duo won the World Cup of Golf for Belgium, marking the country's first victory in the event. 

  • In 2010, he represented Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup, where his team lost to a strong USA team that included future PGA Tour stars Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. 

  • He represented Belgium at the European Amateur Team Championship and Europe in the Palmer Cup in 2014 and 2015. 

  • At Illinois, he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2013 and the Big Ten Golfer of the Year in 2015. 

  • After winning the 2016 Big Ten Championship, he was ranked as the 5th best amateur golfer in the world by the World Amateur Golf Ranking. 

  • In 2016 he made his professional debut on the Challenge Tour, where he won the Bridgestone Challenge by a record 12 shots and tied the record for lowest score under par (29-under).  

  • In June 2019, he set a Guinness World Record for the fastest hole of golf by an individual, completing a 500-yard par-5 in just 1 minute and 29 seconds. 

  • He is a two-time Olympian, representing Belgium at Tokyo 2020 (T22) and Paris 2024 (T9).

BOTTOM LINE 

Thomas Detry is a strong addition to LIV Golf and the 4Aces. The Belgian is one of the most talented players in the world and was finally able to parlay that talent into a big win on the PGA Tour last season. His high ceiling was also evident when he finished in the top 5 at the PGA Championship in 2024. His reunion with his good friend and college teammate Thomas Pieters should bring the best out of him this season on both the individual and team leaderboards.

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