Three out of five. Half of the players who got their PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour landed in Hawaii, where 60% continue in their debut on the American tour. At the Sony Open, in the paradisiacal Honolulu, Matthieu Pavon (-8), Ryo Hisatsune (-3) and Robert MacIntyre (-3) honourably defended the European flag, while Alexander Bjork (+3) and Sami Valimaki (+5) couldn’t find the formula to sink their teeth into the Waialae Country Club.
It’s worth stopping to consider Pavon, a rookie on the American Circuit who turned 31 two months ago. He already said when the Open of Spain in Madrid that his dream was to get a PGA Tour card. But he’s not just content with that. He wants more.
Great way to finish the round today
5birdies in a row 🔥
Loved it @SonyOpenHawaii 🌺
Can’t wait to go again tomorrow ! @PGATOUR pic.twitter.com/gxvjJDmfcO— Matthieu Pavon (@matthieupavon) January 13, 2024
The golfer from Bordeaux gave a lesson in determination in the second round of the Sony Open and climbed to the overcrowded fourth position of the tournament, just one stroke behind the trio of leaders (An, Eckroat and Yuan) after an explosive finish. Aloha, Matthieu. The devil knows more from being old than from being the devil and the Frenchman has many shots given to know that you should never give up.
After a brilliant debut on Thursday (-4), he opened the second round with three bogeys that could have unhinged him and it didn’t happen at all. The birdies at 9 and 10 put him within the cut, although almost at the limit and then he made a burst with a poker of hits in the last five flags to not only move away from the sieve, but to get fully into the fight for the title with 36 holes ahead.
“There are always 18 holes on a golf course, starting badly in the first stretch does not mean that you cannot finish well. It was hard for me at the beginning, I was a bit nervous. In the second nine, I started to generate chances and the machine, little by little, got going. The putt worked and I finished very well, with an excellent card. The birdie at 9 did me a lot of good, also the one at 10. That freed me and I was lucky with a putt that fell inside at 13. From there, I played the last six holes very well. Today I didn’t think I would be so close to the lead, but I am proud of the mental work I did. Having rested this winter did me a lot of good and I have arrived here eager to compete. I am very happy”, said the proud French rookie, who has far exceeded expectations in his debut as a PGA Tour player, a circuit he will share with the DP World Tour. A lesson in grit in every rule.
