PGA Tour fans question Pavon's actions on 18 after "awkward" video footage
Matthieu Pavon's footwork on the final hole of the Farmers Insurance Open has been called into question by PGA Tour fans.
Matthieu Pavon secured his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Farmers Insurance Open last week in dramatic fashion. However, eagle-eyed golf fans have called his actions on the final hole into question following the emergence of footage online.
With victory on the line, Pavon needed a birdie on the final hole at Torrey Pines in order to secure his first PGA Tour title.
After being forced to lay up with his second shot on the par-5 18th hole, Pavon was left with an unenviable third shot into the green. Thick rough appeared to have engulfed his ball, and with water lurking in front of the green, clean contact was paramount to set up a birdie putt to secure victory.
The shot Pavon produced was nothing short of spectacular, with the Frenchman managing to muscle his ball onto the putting surface with tremendous accuracy to set up a seven-foot birdie putt to clinch the win.
Pavon buried the putt to become the first Frenchman to win on the PGA Tour.
While the majority of the golfing world applauded Pavon for his tenacious shot-making, some online critics have suggested foul play after a video emerged of the Frenchman's final steps before hitting his third shot from the juicy rough.
Scroll down to watch the video footage...
True to form, golf fans from across the Twittersphere are divided on Pavon's intentions, but some claim he intentionally stepped on the ground directly behind his ball in order to flatten it out and gain better access to his ball.
One Twitter user, in particular, wasted no time in picking apart the footage, claiming Pavon had clearly stepped behind the ball in order to get cleaner contact with his shot.
Another tweeted it "looks awkward for sure".
The video, which has now been viewed 1.3 million times, has caused quite a stir online, but it has split opinion among fans, with a number of users claiming there is little evidence to suggest intentional wrongdoing.
Watch the full video below, and check out the thread for all the comments:
No one noticed Pavon clearly step behind his ball to smash the long grass down to allow his iron to get clean contact. That's why the ball had spin. Playing competitors were 100 yards back. There's no reason to step sideways behind your ball otherwise. @AndyTFE @BrendanPorath pic.twitter.com/xCworgPFic
— ShutFaceGolf (@ShutFaceGolf) January 28, 2024
You def can’t tell where the ball is. But that last step looked purposeful and hard to not think about how clean that ball came out now. https://t.co/tiRybMOH0j
— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) January 29, 2024
Here the shot Pavon played:
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Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
