Matthieu Pavon chasing Ryder Cup dream ahead of PGA Tour title defense at Farmers Insurance Open | Golf news
Matthieu Pavon embarks on a title defense at the Farmers Insurance Open with aspirations of fulfilling a childhood ambition to make his Ryder Cup debut in 2025, something that seemed like a pipe dream less than 18 months ago.
While Team Europe won the Ryder Cup again with an impressive 16.5-11.5 victory over Zach Johnson’s United States in Rome in September 2023, Pavon was outside the world’s top 200 and winless in his eighth season on the DP World Tour.
Less than four months later, Pavon reached the winner’s circle on the DP World Tour, earning dual membership for the following season and becoming the first Frenchman in 117 years to win on the PGA Tour.
Pavon returned to Torrey Pines this week as the defending champion, live on Sky Sports from Wednesday, with the Frenchman looking to continue his memorable rookie season and squeeze into Europe’s Ryder Cup plans.
“I think sophomore year is always kind of a confirmation year,” Pavon said before his title defense at Torrey Pines. “It was a great starter [in 2024]but now it’s time to confirm, it’s time to show up again and try to win tournaments.
“This is a pretty big year for me because it’s also a Ryder Cup year. This is one of my goals that I’ve been chasing since I was a kid. There’s a lot going on this year and I can’t wait to get started.”
How failure fueled Pavon’s rise to success on the PGA Tour
Pavon has waited a long time to build his reputation in the sport, with eight years passing between his two early successes on the Alps Tour – a level three circuit – and his breakthrough on the DP World Tour.
He changed driver and putter during the final week of the Ryder Cup, where he earned €6,000 by finishing runner-up on the mini-tour in France, and the change was quickly followed by a long-awaited success two weeks later at the Acciona Open de España.
The emotional four-shot victory came in his 185th appearance on the DP World Tour and in the hometown of his late grandfather, and his career was further transformed a month after the season ended at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
Pavon birdied each of his final four holes to finish in the top five, his fifth world top 10 in a memorable 2024, earning him a PGA Tour card and dual membership for next season from his Race to Dubai ranking position.
He immediately made a statement in America, winning the Farmers Insurance Open – in just his third PGA Tour start of the season – to become the first French winner on the PGA Tour since Arnaud Massy in 1907 and secure invitations to all four majors.
Pavon impressed in his Masters debut, competed at the US Open, represented France at the Olympics and captured the Tour Championship at the end of the season during a tumultuous campaign, with his previous struggles encouraging him to succeed on the world stage.
“I think it’s really a failure [that helped]” Pavon explained. “We say it all the time, but you can achieve great things before you fail many times, and I’ve had so many different failures in my career.
“When I was on the mini-tour in Europe, I didn’t make it to the Challenge Tour for four bucks for a year, which is nothing – not even an opportunity. Then I went back to Q school, got to Q school and went to the Challenge Tour.
“On the Challenge Tour, the same. Great years started off great and then dropped a few places and I had to finish second in one of the last tournaments to get my ticket. That was until I finally won on tour a year and a half ago in To Spain – I lost a lot of times before I succeeded.
“I think it just makes me a better player, because the more you fail, the more you learn about yourself. It was a long experience to get there, but when you get to the top, you feel more comfortable and ready.”
Could the Ryder Cup be next for the ‘special’ Pavon?
There hasn’t been a Frenchman in a Ryder Cup team since Victor Dubuisson in 2014, but Pavon showed why he can end that wait with his Team Cup performance earlier in the year.
The three-day team event has been reintroduced to the DP World Tour schedule to help prepare for September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, with Pavon top-scoring for continental Europe in their heavy 17-8 loss to Great Britain. and Ireland.
Pavon partnered Romain Langasque to victory in each of the first three sessions and managed to match Tommy Fleetwood for birdie in the singles before going down in a 3&1 defeat, his display praised by Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and his backroom team.
“He [Pavon] is something special,” said Paul McGinley, a former Ryder Cup captain and Donald’s strategic adviser for Team Cup 2025. “He’s got a bit of grit about him.
“As much as we look at this Ryder Cup in a different way than any away games before, what we’re looking for is personality, guile and determination and someone who can play in a hostile environment.
“I think Pavon brings that to the table, so he’s been really impressive. He had a big year in America last year which sets him up for a big year this year because he’s in all the main and signature events.”
The Ryder Cup is still nine months away, leaving plenty of time for players to push their name into the automatic qualification spots or fight for one of Donald’s six captaincy choices.
Pavon has shown he can compete against the world’s best over the past year and his Team Cup showed what he can offer in a team environment, although a big one in 2025 will still be needed if his Ryder Cup dream is to become a reality. A strong title defense at Torrey Pines would be a good start.
Who will win the Farmers Insurance Open? Watch all week live on Sky Sports. Early coverage starts on Wednesday from 16:45 on Sky Sports Golf before the full coverage from 20:00. Get Sky Sports or stream PGA Tour, majors and more contract-free NOW.
