Orlando Ramirez / AFP
The first French winner on the American professional circuit for 117 years, the Bordeaux player achieved the official feat on the Torrey Pines course (California). However, he does not forget that nothing was easy before.
all smiles, Matthew Pavon Khedut willingly participated in a question-and-answer game with journalists during the press conference held after his win in farmer insurance.
Also readMasterful at Torrey Pines, Mathieu Pavon first French winner on PGA Tour
Being new to the PGA Tour, how do you feel after your win at Farmers Insurance?
Matthew Pavan. – Unbelievable character. Like I said, I think there’s still one more round to play because it’s only Saturday! (Laughs) I never thought that one day I would have the opportunity to play with the best players in the world in the United States on the PGA Tour. This is still a dream for me. And then there was a move to play and I grabbed it. The dream has come true. This is really hard for me to believe.
What comes to mind right off the bat?
Winning a tournament on the PGA Tour is incredible for me. It is a childhood dream. I’m going too far. I never thought that one day I would win a tournament in the United States. It’s a lot of work. Golf puts us in our place. It was a lot of failures. I’m lucky to be surrounded so well in life with my wife, my son, my friends, my staff… I come to draw from them the strength I had on the last day during a golf tournament.
“I kept my head down and said to myself, ‘Come on, it’s show time.’ Breathe well and do the best you can. »
What difference did the returns make?
It is a question of motivation. It was important for me to have clear ideas. I took notes in my logbook which I held onto to stay in the present moment. During the journey, sometimes your mind wanders a bit and it is difficult to refocus. I think that’s the key in sports: the more confident you are, the easier it can be. People don’t realize, but I re-read these little sentences a hundred times during the last six holes (laughs). I kept concentrating on it, I cooled my thoughts and said to myself: “Come on, it’s show time. Breathe well and do the best you can.”
Also readComplete Farmers Insurance 2024 Leaderboard
How do you feel about joining the PGA Tour from the DP World Tour?
That was not my goal last season. I had no wins in Europe, I spent seven years playing to achieve my first success. It came slowly with this victory for Spain, which came at the right time. I realized that I am capable of doing good things. My confidence grew. And we decided to implement new things going in the right direction with my staff. During the DP World Tour finals in Dubai, I was on cloud nine, in orbit (Matthew Pavon made 5 birdies, including 4 in a row during the last round, to snag the last qualifying spot for the PGA Tour, editor’s note). It was incredible. When I arrived in USA, I tried to enjoy every moment.
“I love the United States: the mentality, the sports, the life of the people… I feel semi-American in a way. »
How is your life in the United States?
I was seventeen when I first came here. It was to train in West Palm Beach with Ken Martin… My best ranking at the time must have been 8,000th in the world (laughs). I was never a very good player when I was younger. Since then, it has been a dream for me to come back and play there. I love the United States: the mentality, the sports, the life of the people… I feel semi-American in a way. I don’t feel any pressure to play here. It’s just a chance. If I mess up, I go back to Europe and that’s it. I try to do less good, I enjoy all these special moments – and they are, I tell you! – and it seems to work.
Are you thinking about the Paris Olympic Games?
I have a very good friend, Julien Quesne. He is my guide to tell the truth and he remains so. He competed in the Rio Olympics in 2016 and he talked to me about it and told me how great it was. I had one goal this year: to qualify to represent my country in Paris in 2024. It seems to be running fine now…
How important is winning to come from a family like yours?
I come from a family with a very sporting background. My mother is a golf teacher, my father was a professional footballer. He won the French championship when I was young. We had a VHS tape with the best moments of that season and we probably watched it a hundred times with my brothers. I grew up with it in my family. What I can say is that it gave me values like effort and a taste for humility. “Do the best you can and play your best shot every time you hit the ball.”
(collected comments at the press conference)
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