Matthieu Pavon created history by becoming the first French international to win on the PGA Tour since World War II. The opportunity came courtesy of his stellar season last year at the DP World Tour, which catapulted him to the top ten in the Race to Dubai rankings. This was Pavon’s maiden victory on Stateside, coming on his 11th start.

The French International, however, needed 185 appearances on his home circuit to score his first title. Standing by his side throughout those years was his family. Ironically, the only connection with golf for Pavon was through his mother. As a kid, he was initiated into soccer thanks to his family’s long ties with the game. But eventually, Pavon picked up golf. As he sealed his spot at the $20 million purse AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am next week, take a closer look at his family and caddie.

Matthieu Pavon has long-running ties with soccer

The Frenchman comes from a family of athletes. His father, Michel Pavon, was a soccer player in his native country. Michel Pavon had an eight-year stint with Toulouse FC, making 197 appearances for the Frech top-tier club and scoring 29 goals between 1986 and 1994.

Pavon Sr. also had varying stints with Montpellier, making 53 appearances with nine goals under his belt before moving to Bordeaux. At Bordeaux, also a top-division club in France, Pavon played for five years, perhaps his most successful professional spell. Pavon won the Ligue Cup with Bordeaux and Ligue 1, the top division title, in 1999.

Eventually, the midfielder moved to Spain with a three-year contract with Real Betis before retiring at the age of 32 due to injuries. Michel Pavon, after retiring from professional soccer, turned to coaching in 2003, returning to Bordeaux as the head honcho.

Soccer, though, runs in the Pavon family’s blood. Matthieu Pavon’s grandfather, Ignacio Pavon Dit ‘Pepito’, was also a soccer player with professional stints in both La Ciotat and Olympique Marseille. Ignacio Pavon was born in Madrid, however.

Incidentally, Pavon won his maiden DP World Tour victory in the Spanish capital. That victory was rather special for the Frenchman, as Madrid was the city from which his grandfather had to flee when Franco took over the reins.

Speaking to the media after his maiden European Tour victory at the Spanish Open, Matthieu Pavon said, “A part of my heart is here in Spain for sure. My grandfather was from here and lived in France because of Franco. I really thought about him on the course today and it was really hard to keep the tears inside, now I can let them go a little bit.” Naturally, Pavon too is a soccer fan, and he tried his luck in the game during the early years.

“I come from a very sports family background. My mom is a golf teacher, (and) my dad, (a) football professional. Should I say probably soccer in America, but it’s football,” said the 31-year-old after his maiden PGA Tour victory on Saturday. But Pavon’s mother is a golf instructor, and that’s where the French international’s love for the game grew. 

Who is Matthieu Pavon’s caddie?

Pavon had Mark Sherwood in his bag at Torrey Pines. Before Sherwood, the French Pro had Sebastien Clement, a prominent golf instructor and caddie, in his bag. The duo worked together for a year before Pavon announced that they would be splitting up. 

Writing on his Instagram profile at that time, the PGA Tour Pro wrote, “By mutual agreement, @sebclementgolf and I have decided to stop our collaboration. I would like to thank Seb for his patience and professionalism. The last 12 months have been marked by great performances and sometimes disappointments.” The duo last appeared together at the 2023 French Open, where the 31-year-old finished in the 109th position. 

Since last October, French International has partnered with Mark Sherwood. The Farmers Insurance Open was their second silverware together. Before this, Pavon won the Spanish Open in Madrid last October.

Speaking after the Farmers Insurance victory, Sherwood said that he disagreed with the PGAT Pro on the final hole. The experienced bagman thought it was better to chip the ball and make par on the 18th. But Pavon felt he could try an 8-iron to make things better. “It was scary,” Sherwood admitted to PGATOUR.com, after the victory.

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But the looper trusted Pavon. “But he was so confident, he said, ‘this thing is going over the green.’” The ball would, obviously, settle at 8 feet away from the pin, offering Pavon an opportunity to clinch the title. “Some things are meant to be and it was meant to be his one,” Sherwood was glad that it worked out so well.

Pavon would now travel to Pebble Beach next for the second Signature event of the calendar year. The Torrey Pines victory also secures him a spot in the remaining Signature events.

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