Getty Matthieu Pavon of France at the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 15, 2024.
French golf star Matthieu Pavon is turning heads at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. During the third round, Pavon moved into first place ahead of American golfer Bryson DeChambeau.
Cheering Pavon on during the major tournament, his wife, Melissa Tarris. While Tarris keeps her Instagram profile private, Pavon recently gave a peek into their personal life, sharing a rare photo of their son, Aaron.
Pavon shared a special moment from The Masters, during which his mother, Beatrice Pavon, and father, Michel Pavon, were also in attendance. The 31-year-old captioned the photo, “Thrilled to share this family moment for the first time at @themasters during the iconic Par 3 Contest 🥰⛳️.”
Pavon, a PGA Tour rookie, secured his card following his 15th-place finish at the DP World Tour Championship in 2023. Pavon went on to win the Farmers Insurance Open in January. For Tarris, watching her husband win at Torrey Pines was a thrilling experience.
@matthieupavon/InstagramMatthieu Pavon with his wife, Melissa Tarris, and their son, Aaron.
Tarris “couldn’t be more proud” of Pavon, she told Golf Planete in January. “The only regret is not having been there for the two victories,” she noted. Pavon won his first European Tour event at the Acciona Open de España in October.
“But when I got on the phone with him yesterday, I told him that I was so excited to go to Augusta for the Masters and that I was going to wear the white overalls and caddy cap for the par 3 competition.”
“Some people don’t understand that anything can happen until the last hole and that’s what happened. Tears came to me from the putt on 16, I was shaking all over, I really didn’t realize it. A few months ago when he won in Madrid, I told him that he was going to make history in his sport, that he had to have confidence in himself.”
Matthieu Pavon’s Mother Is a Golf Instructor, She Famously Buried a Good Luck Coin at Augusta
15 years ago Matthieu Pavon’s mother buried a coin in the Augusta National turf.
This week, the Pavon family return as Matthieu makes his Masters debut.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree with Pavon, as his mother Beatrice is a golf instructor in France, Golf.com reported.
Back in 2009, Beatrice and Michel traveled to Augusta, during which Pavon’s mother buried a Euro coin while on the practice range. “Go get it,” she told Pavon upon her return. “That’s why I put it there. Go to the Masters in 10 years and get back my coin.”
Fifteen years later, Pavon finally made it. He finished in 12th place at Augusta National. And no, he didn’t find the buried good luck charm. “I think it’s part of the story, and it’s only better that that coin maybe stays here forever,” said Pavon, per Golf Digest.
“The only thing we’re going to do now is probably I’m going to get a coin myself, bury it somewhere for maybe wishing that my son one day will come as a player over here.
As for whether his son Aaron, 2, will follow in his footsteps, Pavon is unsure. “I don’t know if he wants to play golf. It doesn’t matter. But maybe I wish that. It would be fun if in the next 20, 30 years my son gets here as a player. That would be an awesome story.”
Matthieu Pavon’s Father Is Former Soccer Star
🚀💥 Michel Pavon
Pavon’s father, Michel, started his professional soccer career playing with Toulouse FC. After eight seasons, the midfielder spent two years with Montpellier HSC before signing with FC Girondins de Bordeaux.
After he stopped playing, Michel became the head coach at Bordeaux in 2003 but transitioned to a club scout following a heart condition.
Et si @matthieupavon, notre nouveau champion de golf tricolore, vainqueur samedi de l’open de San Diego, avait déjà foulé la pelouse de Lescure?
C’était le 15 novembre 1997, à l’occasion d’un match du @girondins face au PSG pour le 300ème match pro de Michel Pavon, son père!
Michel is regular at his son’s tournaments, however, the golfer’s mother struggles with the stress of watching him play. She told Golf Planete in January, “Usually, I don’t watch Matt on TV because my stomach hurts.”
“On the advice of Thomas Levet, I took my courage in both hands to experience this feat. So I watched from 12 onwards while hiding my eyes when I was scared, she said with a laugh of watching Pavon at Torry Pines.
“I’m so proud of him. He was so handsome, his walk was sure and his look determined. He realizes his childhood dream. It’s just magical. My whole tribe is behind him. He wrote a page in French golf.”