DP World Tour Pro Criticises Pro-Am Schedule

Matthieu Pavon said playing pro-ams so close to a tournament was causing players to withdraw from events

Matthieu Pavon takes a shot during the 2022 Open de Espana
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Mike Hall
By Mike Hall
published

DP World Tour pro Matthieu Pavon has criticised the tour's scheduling of pro-ams and claimed it is leading to players withdrawing from events.

The Frenchman aired his complaints on Twitter, where he wrote: “I’ve been on tour for 6 years now but still don’t understand how you can put afternoon pro-am followed by morning tee times 🤷🏻‍♂️ @DPWorldTour and after you wonder why some players are pulling out from them…”

Pavon, who is in the field for this week’s AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, tees it up at 7.30am on Thursday following the Wednesday pro-am, which appears to have been the final straw as he chose to speak out on the issue. However, sympathy was in short supply on his perceived plight.

Nevertheless, the 30-year-old’s point was backed up by fellow DP World Tour pro Romain Langasque, demonstrating the criticism has at least some support among other players, who responded: “Good point! @DPWorldTour it is something you need to work seriously on!!!”

Pavon’s comments echo those of another player who drew an online backlash for his criticisms on scheduling, albeit in a wider context. In August, James Hahn also used Twitter to vent on the PGA Tour’s schedule from tournament to tournament, even suggesting it is one of the reasons players are choosing to join the LIV Golf.

That time, though, Hahn struggled to find sympathy even among figures in the game, with the likes of Presidents Cup International Team captain Trevor Immelman, Sky Sports commentator Ewan Murray and five-time European Tour winner Barry Lane criticising his argument.

Considering the backlash to Hahn's complaints followed by a similar response to Pavon's criticism, if Twitter is anything to go by, the perception is clear - regardless of the tour in question, inconvenient scheduling is considered a largely trivial matter for players in an otherwise privileged position.

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Mike Hall
Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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