U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2024

June 16, 2024

Matthieu Pavon

Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (Course No. 2)

Quick Quotes

Q. Your best finish in a major championship. What was that like?

MATTHIEU PAVON: Yeah, it feels great. It was an awesome day being last off with Bryson, the major champion. That was just a super nice experience. I enjoyed every moment on the golf course. The crowd was nice, very fair to me, pushing for the home guy. It was nice to feel that sort of energy. To drop some birdies on my back nine to finish fifth was really nice.

Q. It was a challenging day out there. You fought back really well.

MATTHIEU PAVON: Yeah, as I said, it's always me against the golf course, so this is what I tried to do. Even though you see Rory starting like a bomb and Bryson doing Bryson things, let's say, I always try to stick to my game plan, stick to the things I know that I have to do, and down the stretch, my game got better and better. I had some great birdie chances, birdie positions, and I made one or two great putts. Overall it was a super nice week.

Q. This top 5 just continues an amazing season for you.

MATTHIEU PAVON: Yes, it is. We know that in a season you're going to have up and downs. I had pretty big downs the last three weeks. I missed cuts. It was not easy, but I always tried to keep the things as simple as I can. I tried also to raise up my energy a little bit. I felt like I was quite tired the last few weeks, and we are back. One week, one good sensation, and all of a sudden you feel like you can win almost any tournament.

Q. Eight months ago you were in Spain at the end of the year, were able to win on the PGA TOUR and now it's the final group of a major. What's that like?

MATTHIEU PAVON: Yeah, it's an amazing journey. It really shows that in golf, it can go really fast one way and really fast also the other way. But it's just the work I've put in with my team. We work out with everybody. I have a nice group of people around me, very positive people, very hardworking people. We try to keep the things really simple, and this is the way I feel I can compete at my best level, and this is what maybe made the difference the last year and a half.

Q. How good was that up-and-down that Bryson just made there on 18? When you saw where it was, did you think that was going to be difficult?

MATTHIEU PAVON: Yeah, it's really difficult. You can't really be long. But this is what I said to the guys. What's most impressive about Bryson is not that he hits the ball far. Everybody knows it. But I was amazed by the quality of the short game on 18. It's a master class. Short game on 8, up-and-down on 8, was really, really clutch. He's a hell of a player. He has no weakness, and he's a truly great champion.

Q. You said he was very gracious. Obviously the crowd was rooting for him. In what way was he that way to you?

MATTHIEU PAVON: I think it's super nice having an entire country pushing you, trying to give all the energy they can, just positivity for him. It's great. I wish we were all like this where I come from. But yeah, it's just a nice feeling for him, and as I said, they were really respectful for me. Even cheering for Bryson, I never had a bad moment with the crowd. I know that was just an experience that I will never forget.

Q. You've played a ton of golf in your career. You've certainly played in Europe some. Seeing what Rory went through today, does that give you empathy, the fact that everybody three-putts like that...

MATTHIEU PAVON: At the end of the day we are all human. Rory has been chasing another major since many years. He is one of the best players in the world, a true champion. It shows you how tough it is. The more you want it, the tougher it gets, and the highest expectation you have for yourself, the tougher it gets, the more pressure you got into. Maybe this is a little bit of pressure that got him today for sure, but Rory is just a massive champion. I'm sure he will fight back and really soon.

Q. Have you ever been around Bryson before today? Had you ever met him?

MATTHIEU PAVON: Yeah. The first time ever I met Bryson was at the Masters.

Q. This year?

MATTHIEU PAVON: This year, so never before. And he was that guy, super nice, super polite that came to me and congratulated me for my win at Torrey. This is the type of things you never forget because for me, in the golf industry I'm nobody, and when you have a major champion and a guy like him, very well-known from everybody worldwide, when he just comes to you and has very simple words like this, it's really meaningful.

Q. That up-and-down on 18 that he had, how would you describe it?

MATTHIEU PAVON: Yeah, it's amazing. It's a tough golf shot. I can't remember if the ball was slightly uphill in the trap. You have to carry the ball 35 yards in the air and let it roll on the up slope. He just played like unbelievable. At that time with the pressure he had at that moment, it is just one of the best shots in golf history I would say.