The 124th U.S. Open has teed off at Pinehurst No. 2, and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon is a surprise name in contention following a three-under opening round on Thursday
Matthieu Pavon perplexed fans as he appeared to chew his tee late in his opening round at the U.S. Open.
Pavon surged to the group contending for the lead at Pinehurst No. 2, showcasing how sporting talent clearly runs in the family. His father, Michel, established himself as a Bordeaux legend by both playing and managing the French club.
Primarily deployed as a defensive midfielder, Michel appeared in 378 Ligue 1 matches across three spells with Toulouse, Montpellier and Bordeaux. He went on to manage the club a few years into retirement, and the love from the ‘Girondins’ clearly extends to his son after the club’s jersey was remarkably spotted in North Carolina.
But Pavon is forging his path in a different sport. He caught the eyes of viewers following a bogey on 16 at the end of his opening round, which has placed him among the biggest names in the game in the mix atop the leaderboard.
After approaching 17, Pavon appeared to grab a tee to the right of his marker and put it in his mouth. After chewing on it momentarily, the Frenchman put it back down before placing his ball on the tee and using it.
When asked if this was behaviour he traditionally does, Pavon smiled as he told reporters: “No, no, it’s just I grabbed- when I’m waiting on the par-3, usually I don’t use my tee pegs because they are brand new. I just take an old one and just put it in my mouth. So it was nothing really special. It was nothing special at all.”
While the chewing habit may not be special, Pavon’s play certainly was at times. He posted a pair of remarkable eagles on holes five and 10, two magical showings that sparked some life into his round both early and midway through his first round.
“It’s funny because they pretty much come when you don’t really expect them,” the 31-year-old said. “We know how tough the course can be and even if you go in two for the par-5s you really have to put the ball in the right spot, and this is all I tried, and I kind of succeeded.
With his victory at the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Pavon became the first French golfer to win on the PGA Tour since 1907. He is now looking to imitate Arnaud Massy as the sole victor at a major, who won the 1907 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.