Matthieu Pavon makes ace on No. 15 at U.S. Open
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France’s Matthieu Pavon carded a hole-in-one on the par-3 15th at LACC. (Photo Courtesy of Jeff Haynes/USGA)
Nothing like an ace to kick-start your U.S. Open.
France’s Matthieu Pavon got the party started at the short par-3 15th Thursday at Los Angeles Country Club, making a hole-in-one from 124 yards. His tee shot landed some 15 feet behind the hole and spun back, trickling into the right side of the cup. He raised both hands in jubilation, then raised his hat to the California patrons before pumping his fist and embracing his caddie.
Matthieu Pavon’s incredible ace at U.S. Open
The ace moved Pavon to even-par on the day. He rebounded from a bogey at 2 with a birdie at 3, then fell back with bogeys on Nos. 5 and 10. The hole-in-one, though, brought him back to level par.
The DP World Tour pro qualified for his third U.S. Open, and first in four years, by shooting 8-under-par 136 at England’s Final Qualifying site, Walton Heath Golf Club. He owns three professional victories on smaller circuits in Europe: two on the Alps Tour and one on the French Tour. He also competed on the Challenge Tour, the DP World Tour’s top pathway circuit, before gaining his DP World Tour card in 2017. Pavon's father, Michael, is a former French professional soccer player.
One of the predominant U.S. Open storylines into the week: how would the devilish 15th at LACC play? Rickie Fowler was quoted early in the week that he’d consider laying up to a certain hole location; Jon Rahm recalled a tee shot at the Pac-12 Championship a decade ago that landed next to the flag and skipped into thick rough.
Thursday's hole location is in the back-middle portion of the green, not the narrow front-right portion that could provoke such torment. Pavon took advantage. He adds his own unique memory to the hole’s lore, and it will bring nothing but bliss.