LIV Golf Hong Kong: Detry predicts Saturday ‘birdie fest’ but wind may wreck rounds

Thomas Detry thinks Saturday at HSBC LIV Golf Hong Kong could be a “birdie fest”, but those who know the way the winds can ruin a round at Fanling might advise the Belgian to be a little more cautious in his predictions.

Mind you, Detry could be forgiven for his confident outlook after a seven-under-par 63 took him to 13 under overall and a shot back from leaders Carlos Ortiz and Dean Burmester.

A day that started with a birdie on the par-3 second and ended with one on the par-4 first was punctuated by regular flourishes with his wedges, although momentum was slowed by a run of five straight pars from the 11th.

“The course is amazing, but all that rain often softens it up a little bit, and it’s just very gettable,” the 4Aces golfer said. “There’s wedges on pretty much every single hole. All the par-5s are reachable.

“Even though I overheard it might be a little bit windy tomorrow, I think it’s going to be a birdie fest, and you’ve just got to keep going really. There’s only one rule: keep making birdies.”

Detry’s performance could not stop his team’s slide down the leaderboard. Third at the start of the day on 13 under, they ended the day down in seventh on 23 under, well behind leaders Smash GC who rode Graeme McDowell’s 63 and Harold Varner III’s 64 to 35 under.