Matthieu Pavon engraved his name in the pages of golf history with his win at the Farmers Insurance Open. The Toulouse-born golfer became the first French golfer to win on the American men’s circuit since World War II. But it seems his victory did not only garner adulation but also stirred some controversy for the 31-year-old golfer, which has raised eyebrows regarding his historic win.

The nature of Pavon’s win has been put under scrutiny as rumors of him cheating at the 18th hole on the Torrey Pines South Course swirl around the golf world. The hole birdied by the Frenchman, which propelled him towards the said victory, is now being questioned by many golf enthusiasts.

Matthieu Pavon’s final hole shenanigans, named as cheating

During the last leg of the event, Matthieu Pavon was paired with Nicolai Hojgaard and Stephen Jaeger. The three were playing head-to-head and Pavon was in the lead. However, after the 17th hole, Hojgaard and Pavon were tied. The Frenchman needed a birdie or better, to win the game.

Pavon did just that. He started his par-5 18th hole, but after the first shot, the ball ended up near the fairway bunker. The next shot took it on the rough. However, he recovered from there, made a birdie putt, and eventually won the game. The allegation has been made about the third shot that was hit from the rough onto the greens by Pavon.

According to the tweet by an X account known as Shut Face Golf, Pavon made a purposeful step “behind his ball to smash the long grass down.” It further reportedly claimed that it allowed the iron a clean contact while giving the ball a spin. The page also stated that Pavon’s moving behind the ball was also needless.

After the tweet circulated around the internet community, many widely accepted the points made and went on to suspect and point fingers at the French golfer for foul play on the San Diego greens.

Read More: 2024 Farmers Insurance Open: Matthieu Pavon’s Winning Equipment Explored

Netizens allegation makes Pavon’s victory tasteless

Many golf fans took to the internet to share their thoughts and opinions on the entire 18th-hole fiasco and whether the 31-year-old played it fair and square or not. ‘Monday Q Info’ reposted the tweet and stated that although the ball is not visible from the video, it still sparks doubts because the shot came out cleaner than expected and the “last step looked purposeful.”

The video does make one doubt the French national, but is Pavon really a cheater? Well, one fan thought of him as one and listed him on the PGA Tour cheater’s list.

Pavon was also compared to Patrick Reed, who has a history of cheating allegations. He was named “French Partick Reed” on the PGA Tour by one fan.

The allegation is so serious that one fan stated that they will not be recognizing Pavon as a winner on the PGA Tour despite him being one.

One user was a bit hesitant to call Pavon a cheater outright. But they did say that the ball can’t be seen and the whole scene paints a rather dubious picture for the French golfer.

Another user explicitly stated that they “hate cheaters” and expected the PGA Tour to show other angles of the shot. They also hoped that Pavon would get asked about it on his next outing.

One user was enraged that Pavon won after stepping on the grass and that the win should be given to Nicolai instead. They further commented, “What’s the point in playing at Torrey if players can do this?” referring to the golfer’s walk on the rough before making the shot.

The next stop for Matthieu Pavon will be at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The 1x PGA Tour may get asked about his recent win and whether he deliberately stepped to shorten the grass or not. But till then, tell us whether you find the Frenchman guilty or not in the comments below.

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