8 issues we discovered concerning the Farmers champ

Humble, humorous, enthusiastic, considerate: Is Matthieu Pavon the hero golf wants proper now? Judging by his charming post-round press convention on Saturday, the reply is sure.

The 31-year-old Frenchman received his first PGA Tour match on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open in dramatic style on Saturday, hitting a masterful method from heavy tough to arrange a birdie on the 18th gap to win by one shot over Nicolai Hojgaard.

Pavon, a PGA Tour rookie who spent years taking part in on the DP World Tour (the place he notched his first win final 12 months on the Spanish Open), remains to be comparatively unknown to American golf followers, however that can actually change after his spectacular efficiency at Torrey Pines. Now we have a lot to study Pavon, which made his winner’s press convention an entertaining get-to-know you session that exposed loads of worthwhile nuggets about his life, along with showcasing his plain allure. Take a look at 8 highlights from Pavon’s interview under.

8 issues we discovered from Matthieu Pavon’s charming post-round press convention

1. He’s not afraid to take cost

With the match on the road, Pavon’s caddie recommended he lay up from a tricky spot on the par-5 18th gap to avoid wasting par and doubtlessly get right into a playoff. However Pavon opted for the riskier play.

“I used to be like, pay attention, Woody, just like the lie doesn’t look too unhealthy, I really feel like I can do it,” Pavon stated. “He stated OK, however it’s your name (Laughs.) It’s my name. And I used to be so pumped at the moment, I do know I had the power to elevate that ball up on the inexperienced. I sort of aimed to the center of the inexperienced realizing the face would shut a little bit bit as a result of it’s fairly deep and thick. That ball got here out like a butterfly and it actually feed the slope on the inexperienced and left myself a nine-footer or one thing. That was the proper time to show I’ve the center to complete that match and I did it so I’m so comfortable about that final gap.”

2. The story behind his eye-catching tattoo

Pavon’s right-palm tattoo obtained loads of digital camera time throughout the last spherical, and he talked about its which means after the spherical.

“Typically your head flies away a little bit bit and it’s important to get again to the current second to refocus your self,” he stated. “Sentences like they’re telling me why I play golf, why I’m right here. They present me — they provide me a little bit further confidence. I believe it’s actually eager in sports activities, the extra confidence you get, the simplest it may very well be and people sentences are there for.

“The sentences, I learn them like 100 occasions in solely six holes,” he continued. “Simply give attention to this. I elevate my head and it’s me to play, OK it’s simply showtime. You attempt to decide to the shot, very targeted and simply attempt to do your finest, that’s all you are able to do actually.”

3. He’s a fan of the U.S.

“It’s a dream since I’m 16, since I got here to America for the primary time to apply in West Palm,” Pavon stated. “I cherished every little thing about America, the mentality, the game, every little thing you guys do. It looks like I’m an American in some way.”

4. He comes from a powerful sports activities household

“I come from a really sports activities household background,” Pavon stated. “My mother is a golf trainer, my dad, soccer skilled. Ought to I say most likely soccer in America, however it’s soccer.

“Yeah, it’s huge,” he continued. “He received the French Championship once I was younger. I believe we had a VHS tape with all of the highlights of his seasons. We most likely watched that 100 occasions with my brothers. That is how inspiring is my household.”

5. He had an A+ response to a query about his future

“Matthieu Pavon is aware of he’s going to go eat at Nobu tonight, that’s all I do know, and taking part in in Pebble subsequent week,” he stated.

6. He performed soccer for 13 years — in his father’s shadow

“I performed for 13 years. I wasn’t too unhealthy, to be honest,” Pavon stated. “That was a tricky time for me since you’re all the time just like the son of Michel, my dad. In order that was an ungainly feeling occurring the pitch and listening to a number of the (indiscernible) as a household and stuff like speaking to you trashily and stuff. That was some powerful time, however it makes you stronger, I suppose.”

7. He conquered the yips

“I used to be about to stop golf, to be honest, simply earlier than turning professional as a result of I had yips,” Pavon stated. “It was 10 years in the past, 11 years in the past and I found a method and I simply labored on it so laborious and develop into very acquainted and one thing which is a weapon for me.”

8. He discovered about humility from an early age

“The factor is, not being nice if you’re younger, you don’t have a lot expectations,” Pavon stated. “They don’t seem to be actually excessive, to be honest. So on daily basis I had a nasty day on a golf course was sort of regular and on daily basis I had one was superb. So I all the time had positivity coming to me.”

Right here’s hoping we hear extra from golf’s latest star within the weeks to come back.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of feminine varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everybody on the masthead. She will be able to out-hustle them within the workplace, too, the place she’s primarily accountable for producing each print and on-line options, and overseeing main particular initiatives, resembling GOLF’s inaugural Model Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview sequence, “A Spherical With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in each within the journal and in video kind on GOLF.com.