History was made on Saturday at Torrey Pines’ South Course when Matthieu Pavon became the first French pro to win a PGA Tour event with his triumph at the Farmers Insurance Open.
France doesn’t have an illustrious golf history compared to its European neighbors. When most golf fans think about French golf, it’s a bad memory that pops up: Jean van de Velde’s historic collapse on the 72nd hole at the 1999 Open Championship.
‘It’s my call’: Farmers winner shunned caddie’s advice in decisive moment
So if you find yourself among the French natives who do love golf, Pavon’s victory was a very big deal. If you are French golf announcer, then it was an ever bigger deal.
That much is made plain if only you listen to Adrien Toubiana’s epic call of Pavon’s winning putt in French for Canal Plus Golf, which the PGA Tour shared on X after the dramatic ending to the Farmers.
The exuberant call was far more reminiscent of an announcer calling a goal in pro soccer than what you typically find on golf TV in the U.S.
You can read his call in full below, thanks to a translation provided by the Tour. And no, the exclamation points are not excessive when compared to Toubiana’s shear excitement.
TOUBIANA: Yes! Matthieu Pavon becomes the first French player to win a tournament on the PGA Tour! Fabulous! Who would have thought for his third tournament as a member of the PGA Tour he writes the history of male French golf.
You are a champion, Matthieu! You have an enormous heart! You are simply a great one!
The guts. The mental toughness of Matthieu Pavon to make his last birdie when we thought he might be fighting for par and maybe go to a playoff at best. And no. With talent, with his heart, he gets this win.
Interestingly, after his win Pavon used the same “guts” terminology to describe his decision to ignore his caddie’s advice and go for the green on the par-5 18th in three, a critical choice that set up his winning birdie putt.
To learn more about Pavon, read Jessica Marksbury’s roundup of the eight best quotes from his entertaining winner’s press conference at the Farmers.
Of course, Pavon’s win was only historic for the men’s game. On the women’s side, Celine Boutier has been making history for France regularly. So far she has four LPGA victories, and last year she captured her first major at the Evian Championship in France.
