French professional golfer, Matthieu Pavon has always been a pretty good player. But it was not until he met his current caddie that his career really took off in the right direction.
Not that the 32-year-old wasn't enjoying a highly-respectable career on the DP World Tour beforehand with 16 top-10s and a handful of second or third-place finishes on his resume. He and former caddie, Basile Dalberto enjoyed many a happy year together as the Frenchman - guided by his Czech looper - forged out a career among the European elite following his promotion from the Alps and Challenge Tour, respectively.
WHO IS MATTHIEU PAVON'S CADDIE?
But once Pavon switched to current bagman, Mark 'Woody' Sherwood in September 2023, the Frenchman appeared to find that missing piece of the jigsaw and has broken into the world's top-100 as a result of winning twice since. Once on the DP World Tour and once on the PGA Tour.
Both are remarkable in that Pavon's victory at the Spanish Open last year arrived as Sherwood performed caddie duties for just the third time. And in just his third full start on the PGA Tour in 2024, Pavon lifted the famous Farmers Insurance Open title - at Torrey Pines, no less - with Englishman Sherwood stood beside him.
However, the latter almost didn't happen. It may not have if Pavon had taken the advice of his caddie - who has 37 years of experience on tour with the likes of Thomas Bjorn, Ross Fisher, and Jamie Donaldson - going down 18 on the South Course.
The story went like this. Pavon led by one and had watched closest challenger, Nicolai Hojgaard find the green in two on the par-5 hole. Having pulled his own drive into a bunker down the left and failed in trying to re-route to the fairway from a tricky position in the sand, Pavon was around 140 yards from the green ahead of his third but in some thick and potentially card-wrecking rough.
He had two choices from there. Lay up, chip close, putt for par and a playoff. Or perform some sort of miracle shot, putt for birdie, close it out in regulation and win it all. Channelling the amateur golfer in all of us who say "go for it" every single time, Pavon ripped through the heavy grass and watched his ball sail onto the green, ending around seven feet from the pin before sending the winning putt home as Hojgaard failed with a long-range eagle effort.
Speaking after his maiden PGA Tour victory, Pavon revealed how the conversation between he and Sherwood went down midway along the 18th.
Pavon said: “We see Nicolai hitting the green and my caddie was like, ‘OK, we should probably lay up and get ourselves a wedge and kind of try to make par and get a playoff or something.’ I was like, listen, Woody, like the lie doesn’t look too bad, I feel like I can do it. He said, ‘OK, but it’s your call’ (Laughs.)
“It’s my call. And I was so pumped at that time, I know I had the energy to lift that ball up on the green. I kind of aimed to the middle of the green knowing the face would close a little bit because it’s quite deep and thick.
“That ball came out like a butterfly and it really feed the slope on the green and left myself a nine-footer or something. That was the right time to prove I have the guts to finish that tournament, and I did it so I’m so happy about that last hole.”
What a great result for @matthieupavon and caddie Mark “Woody” Sherwood They’ve been trending in the right direction but what a course to do it. @FarmersInsOpen Torres Pines GC 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/rlpZvcgkywJanuary 28, 2024
Despite the careful advice that Sherwood - who is from Wiltshire, England - saw ignored, the caddie will have likely played a significant part in Pavon landing the $1.6 million winner's check as well as a place in the 2024 Players Championship and The Masters.
And if Pavon continues trending in the direction his last six months have produced, the pair might be discussing how aggressive to be on closing holes for many years to come.
Before meeting Pavon and while caddying for Fisher, Sherwood went on a trek through the foothills of the Himalayas in order to raise money for a local charity back in 2016. He and trekking partner, John Warren raised £3,387 for the Wessex MS Therapy Centre in a bid to partially help his friend's mum.
Staying in tee houses along the way, Sherwood and his trekking buddy set off on December 1, 2016 and finally reached their finishing location - 17,600 ft above sea level - two weeks later.
Speaking to the Wiltshire Times about the trek at the time, Sherwood said: “I decided to raise money for the centre because my friend’s mum has multiple sclerosis. I asked professional golf players to donate as they all have a spare pound or two. They were all really generous and I was able to raise over £3,000 within one week.
“We had to deal with some freezing temperatures and some of the inclines were really steep, so at times it became very tough, but it was the most beautiful place and all for a great cause. My wife and two kids were really proud of me. I brought some rocks back for my son so he could take them into school to show off.”
