PINEHURST, NORTH CAROLINA | On Saturday evening after Matthieu Pavon had signed for the 69 and a 54-hole total of 4-under-par 206 that was good enough to get him into the final pairing on Sunday afternoon with Bryson DeChambeau, he was asked how he would react to the pressure of playing alongside the exuberant American. It would be the final round of only the fourth U.S. Open and the seventh major championship in which he had competed.
“I am not worried,” Pavon said with an element of bravura that he might not have felt deep down. “No, it's just golf. At the end of the day, it's me against the golf course. Even more in majors, my only goal every time I show up is trying to beat the golf course.”
He might not have felt that way on Sunday when he appeared not to have putted in turn on the 72nd green at Pinehurst’s No. 2 course. Instead, DeChambeau holed out for a par and a one-stroke victory and pandemonium broke out on the green until DeChambeau raised his hands to quiet the noisy spectators. Then Pavon holed his short putt for a par.
"It has been a remarkable journey for me. I just love so much competing here, and this is what I like people to know about me."
Matthieu Pavon
It has been quite a couple of years for Pavon, 31, who was born in Toulouse, a town in southwest France known more for its rugby than its golf. He turned pro in 2013. He had climbed to 24th in the world at the start of U.S. Open week, significantly up from 93rd at the end of the previous year, and rose to 20th with his fifth-place effort here.
His rise began with victory in the 2023 Spanish Open, his first title on the DP World Tour. He added another top-10 in Spain before tying for fifth in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, good enough to earn an exemption on the PGA Tour in 2024. In January, Pavon became the first Frenchman since World War II to win a PGA Tour event: the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He tied for 12th in the Masters in April and missed cuts at the PGA Championship and the Memorial heading into the U.S. Open.
Pavon made his mark at Pinehurst early last week. Extra putting practice with his coach before coming to North Carolina was perhaps the reason for him scoring eagles on both par-5s in his first-round 67, two strokes behind co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay. Pavon’s good form continued throughout the week. Though his 71 on Sunday was his highest round of his week, it gave him a total of 3-under 277 and his best finish in a major championship.
“I just love golf,” Pavon said. “That's the thing. I'm just so happy to compete here in America. It has been a remarkable journey for me. I just love so much competing here, and this is what I like people to know about me.”
John Hopkins