Cedric Hunter
modified to
7:51 p.m., February 10, 2024
He’s the little French guy that no one saw coming to the United States. The first French winner of a tournament in the modern era of the PGA, the equivalent of the NBA or the NFL for golf in North America, Matthieu Pavon shines on the other side of the Atlantic. The native of Toulouse, who is playing his first season outside of Europe, began his new career with three Top-10s in four tournaments, including a success at the Farmers Insurance Open at the end of January. A consecration which will lead the son of former professional footballer Michel Pavon to the major tournaments, and undoubtedly, to the Olympic Games in France this summer.
Matthieu Pavon, have you finally realized what you have accomplished since the start of the year?
To be completely honest, I think I’m still a little on cloud nine. And I think I’m going to be there all year because clearly, the United States, for me, is a dream, it’s a childhood dream. And so, to have the chance to be able to fully evolve throughout this season and until 2026 after this victory at the Farmers Insurance Open, it is something exceptional. So I’m not sure I’ll come down from my cloud straight away.
How do you explain this success for your debut on the American circuit?
It’s not something that can necessarily be explained. This is ongoing work, which we have been carrying out with my teams for several years. Again, when you work hard, it pays off at some point. It took a lot of patience but it finally happened. I think that since this victory in Spain six months ago on the DP World Tour (the Acciona Open de Espana in Madrid on October 15, 2023), I became aware of what I could achieve. We are really working in the right direction with our teams. I think I was able to ride that wave a little and made the most of it.
Did you feel a real difference between the European circuit and the American circuit?
I think there is a density that is greater in the United States. There are more good players I think. Afterwards, once again, I also think that when you play golf very well, no matter the circuit, no matter the tournament, you are capable of performing there. And for me, my game has been really very solid since the start of the year. So I think the real difference is felt in weeks where we play a little less well. An example: The American Express (a week before winning in San Diego). I must have finished fortieth, and it was far from a bad week in terms of game production. It was actually quite good. So there you have it, I think that there is a real density, and immediately, when we are a little less well, that’s when it is felt.
You’re even leading the overall standings in the FedEx Cup since your third place finish in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro/Am. Have you taken the time to watch it at least once?
No, I try to stay very far away from all these results, all these rankings. I don’t even have the PGA Tour app on my phone, nor the DP World Tour app. These are things that I don’t see at all. Of course it’s gratifying to be first, but it’s almost a bit anecdotal. We only played four tournaments. This first place could become much more valuable if I still occupy it within ten tournaments for example.
For now you are enjoying a little rest, after playing four tournaments in four weeks. You felt this need to breathe a little.
Yes, I have my family with me for two weeks, so this week is really going to be dedicated to them. Spend quality time with family. We need to see each other, we need to digest all of this, all together. Then there will be adjustments in terms of schedule, perhaps in terms of objectives. So we have to take the time to harmonize, so that everyone in my teams is on the same wavelength, on what we want to achieve this year, therefore on the weeks and months that will follow and, of course , get back to work. After this week with my family, I will have two weeks to work hard. For example, I will bring my putting coach with me so that we can practice. So there you have it, we’re trying to save energy in this first week and work hard over the next two weeks to get back in shape for the big tournaments that are coming.
How was the transition between the European circuit and the American circuit? Did you require a particular adaptation?
It went very well. That being said, I knew that I was going to be comfortable in this American atmosphere, because I had already tasted it in certain Major tournaments. With Europe, we were lucky to be able to come and play one or two tournaments in the United States. And when I was seventeen, I came to live there for almost six months to fully train. So I kind of knew what to expect. Afterwards, in terms of play, nothing has changed. We really found a certain solidity at the end of last year, we just tried to continue doing the same things, the same processes, to give ourselves a little time, to see if my style of play, my hitting corresponded to these American tracks. Obviously, it worked very well. I think the key was really to keep doing what you’re doing, not rush into a change or panic if a day is a little less good.
Have others’ views changed since your victory?
When I arrived, I was a, quote, average golfer on the European circuit. Some people maybe didn’t see such great potential in me. So, it’s definitely a status that changes. We feel the looks, if only from a few players. Congratulations from a Rory McIlroy coming to see me. A Justin Rose who sits at the table, chats with me and congratulates me. These are extremely gratifying things for a professional like me, to be recognized by his peers and especially by very great athletes like the players I have just mentioned.
You are part of a large family of athletes. Your father, Michel Pavon, spent a large part of his career as a professional footballer in Toulouse and Bordeaux. Your grandfather, Pépito, played four seasons at Olympique de Marseille in the early 1960s. How did you end up playing golf rather than football?
You forgot my mom who is a golf teacher. On my mother’s side, my grandfather was president of the Nîmes Campagne golf course. My grandmother played golf too. So on the mom side, we have always been very golfing. It was my mother who made me want to play with my grandparents, who took me when I was little. So all this meant that I got more and more hooked with golf. When I arrived around 15-16 years old, I dedicated myself fully to this sport.
What goals will you set for yourself from now on? The doors to major tournaments and maybe even the Olympic Games are opening to you!
I can’t reveal everything, of course. This is something that I keep quite confidential with my staff. Of course the Olympic Games are a goal. I think I’m almost mathematically sure of having won my place to play in the Olympics at the Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. We will focus on the majors and the “signature events” which are the biggest tournaments of the year on the PGA Tour. These will be the tournaments that we will target as a priority. There will be lots of great things to do in the weeks and months to come.
Is participating in the Olympic Games in France, at the Golf National, a unique opportunity in a career?
Yes, it’s already very good to have the Olympics in France. I think that our country really has all the qualities to best organize an event of this magnitude. The Golf National, the 2018 Ryder Cup course, is difficult and demanding. I think it’s going to be a great week of golf and I’ll be very happy if I’m part of this tournament.
A route that you know almost by heart. Could this give you a little advantage?
I don’t know, I never really performed there. Unfortunately, it is a golf course that, for the moment, resists me. But we will try to prepare as best as possible for this tournament. When I have my qualification validated, we will try to prepare as best we can and we will of course give everything we have that week to win a medal.