Matthieu Pavon has lost his singles match against Tommy Fleetwood in the Team Cup. But in reality, he has won. It’s not crazy to suggest that the Frenchman would have beaten any human being this Sunday except the Englishman. If you push it, perhaps we could also include Scottie Scheffler in this category. Not much more. The Frenchman fought like a barbarian gladiator until he had no choice but to raise the white flag. He made it to the 17th. He fell 3 and 1. A heroic feat considering what he was up against. Many others would have been wiped out by the 12th hole.
Fleetwood’s performance today has been surreal. He dressed like an extraterrestrial, especially in the first eight holes. He went through the 7th with a score of seven under. Yes, there’s no typographical error. He scored seven under in seven holes, with five birdies, an eagle, and a par. Crazy. We also include the 8th hole because he actually missed a putt of less than a metre for birdie. Well, after such an exhibition, one hole away from completing the first nine, he was only two up. And that’s because Pavon’s performance was also brutal. The Frenchman scored five under in those first eight.
If Pavon has demonstrated anything this week in the Team Cup, beyond being the only golfer from Continental Europe who can truly be said to have escaped the burn, it’s that to remove him from the fight to be in the Ryder Cup, it will have to be by force. He will find it very difficult to qualify for Bethpage, and he knows it, but what he has done in Abu Dhabi is one of those things that weigh heavily when choosing between two players in August under equal conditions.
Pavon has left many things in Abu Dhabi. What José María Olazábal was talking about with Ten Golf this very Sunday. The intangibles. He has shown desire, commendable attitude, and great determination. It’s true that he missed a couple of good opportunities on the back nine to put more pressure on Fleetwood, especially on the 10th and 13th, but he fought until the end, extending the duel as far as he could, including a great par putt on the 16th.
Pavon is likely referring to these situations when he talks about closing the gap. Because this is what he takes away from the Team Cup. The Frenchman has enjoyed the week immensely and leaves happy with his contribution of three points out of a possible four, yet he sets tasks for the coming months. “I’ve realised there’s a difference between being a very good player and one of the best. I believe I’m a good player, but I feel there’s still a gap to be one of the best, and I want to close it in the coming months. Fleetwood is one of the best, and my goal now is to get as close to him as possible,” he stated to the colleagues at Canal Plus France after finishing his match.
A good reflection of what his Team Cup has been like this week is that the first time he was behind in the score in any of his four matches was today, and it had to be with an eagle from Tommy Fleetwood on the 2nd hole. That gap Pavon speaks of so frankly is the only thing separating him from being in Bethpage in September. The gap exists, but with each passing day, it gets smaller. And if you don’t believe it, listen to Fleetwood himself: “Matt is an incredible player and is proving it all the time,” he emphasises.
