Matthieu Pavon put himself in contention at the 2025 US PGA Championship with the best round ever by a French player at a Major Championship.
The World Number 64 had six birdies in a bogey-free 65 at Quail Hollow to sit two shots behind clubhouse leader Jhonattan Vegas.
"The last two days were pretty solid, but today was even better," he said. "Got a nice momentum with the putter early on that kept me in the right way to manage the golf course.
"A few birdies on the front nine and helped me to be more confident on the back nine. Overall it was a super satisfying day."
Pavon picked up shots at the second, with a 34-foot putt, the fourth and then successively at the seventh and eighth - sending his 43-foot eagle attempt at the former hole to within two feet - to turn in 31.
What a round for @matthieupavon 👏
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 16, 2025
📊 Lowest Major Championship round of his career
🇫🇷 Lowest score ever by a player representing France at a Major Championship#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/LRpYdAUzhU
Further gains courtesy of a 17-foot putt at the 12th and a pinpoint approach to the 14th left him six under par for the tournament, following Thursday's level-par opening round.
He matched the six-under-par second round of compatriot Victor Dubuisson at the 2014 Open Championship, while Mike Lorenzo-Vera shot 65 in the 2018 US PGA Championship on a par-70 layout at Bellerive.
Pavon, 32, preached the importance of sticking to his routine and game plan in testing conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina.
He said: "I try to get disciplined on the golf course, even more when it's a Major because we know the golf courses are tougher. The little mistakes can add up very quick and you can walk away with very high numbers.
"It's all about getting a good mindset and stick to a clear game plan. Something that I'm proud of today, for example, is number 14, very driveable hole but on that back pin for me, it was a layup.
"You know you're playing well and you know you want to make more birdies and you know you want to hit that driver on the green, but I just stick to my game plan; hit the four iron from the tee, and I got a nice wedge that I hit four feet from the hole, and I make birdie.
"When stuff like that happens, I think it's really great and it makes you even more confident in the decisions you take on the golf course."
