Engaged personally alongside Matthieu Pavon in a Pro-Am formula at Pebble Beach, Pascal Grizot, president of the French Golf Federation, recounts his games with the French number 1.
“How did you experience these days with Matthieu Pavon?
It was a fantastic experience because I had a front row seat to see how much he progressed. What is pleasing, and this is one of the reasons for his success, is that he feels very good in the United States. For some players, finding themselves far from their bases and their habits is experienced as a constraint. He loves playing there.
What impressed you most about his game?
His iron game is extremely solid. I remember two 3-iron shots, at the 18 on the first day, then on the 7 at Spyglass (the other course where one of the first two rounds of the tournament was played) at 210 m. He could hit the green in two and put himself 4 m from the flag, he missed the putt for eagle, but overall he put himself very close to the flags with the irons, 4-5 m for easy birdies . He hit one out of two which, at that distance, gives very good performance. What is the least impressive but which has allowed him to make a lot of progress is the quality of his putting. As much as at Torrey Pines, he was the first in terms of statistics in this sector, there he did not make incredible putts. On the other hand, he had some problems with driving but what I really liked is that he has the ability to accelerate, to hit harder, especially on the par 5s which he needs to hit in two.
