Live, consultants Fabrice Tarnaud and Patrice Barquez slipped up, engaging in a question and answer from another age after discussing the performance of French number 1 Matthieu Pavon. Benched by several French players, they apologized for their clumsiness.
“- You told me something before we went on the air, you told me that you were there when Matthew was conceived.
– Yes. Because it’s important. Nobody knows that. Maybe even Beatrice doesn’t know.
– You weren’t in the room? Is his dad Michel Pavon?
– I think it’s Michel. It’s not good to talk about old… to throw around… old memories…
– From CREPS in Toulouse?
– Yes. It’s true. We have very beautiful memories. It’s true. But people don’t know that. It’s true that Matthieu Pavon was conceived at CREPS in Toulouse. I don’t know where precisely. Maybe Béatrice will be able to talk about it better than me. Or Michel. So.
– You told me room 12.
– Ah, ah, ah, the Mimosa room at CREPS de Lespinet in Toulouse, for those who know. On the Palmola golf course. To tell you the truth (…) You will give Béatrice a kiss for me…”
This extract from the dialogue from another age, heard Thursday live on Golf+ during the first round of the FedEx French Open (October 10-13, 2024), viewers owe it to consultants Patrice Barquez and Fabrice Tarnaud. In the joy of the tournament which takes place until Sunday at the Golf National de Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, the two commentators let go after the interview with Béatrice, the mother of Matthew Pavon golf teacher, present at the edge of the course to support her son. Steven Boullay, journalist for the channel, remained silent after the exchange.
The first concerned
The kind of remarks which, in the world of sport and more particularly that of golf, are no longer accepted today. Even when you know people well. Enough to shock those first concerned, at the very least. The Béatrice in question is in fact Béatrice Pavon-Deler, golf teacher, wife of the former player turned football coach Michel Pavon, and mother of Matthieu Pavon, professional golfer, ranked 26th in the world and French n°1 in 2024 .
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Fabrice Tarnaud is the one who asks the questions to Patrice Barquez, who answers him. Both are of Toulouse origin, like the Pavons. Just before, Fabrice Tarnaud had just interviewed Béatrice – “a friend I have known for forty years” – on the exceptional performances of his son and the reason for his presence at the edge of the green. “With Patrice, we wanted to magnify their story and we reacted like kids in an awkward way.” It was once the interview concluded that they let go. Like two fifty-year-olds who have become teenagers again in need of jokes. “I am sorry if we have hurt Béatrice, Matthieu and their family. It’s exactly the opposite of what we wanted.” explains Fabrice Tarnaud.
“We were very clumsy…”
Fabrice Tarnaud and Patrice Barquez
Previously, Ms. Pavon had – inevitably – been aware of these comments. And reported them to the 31-year-old champion, also sharing the fact that it would make him angry, knowing his temperament. “We were very clumsy,” also notes Patrice Barquez. “I apologized to Beatrice.” Who expressed her gratitude for this gesture. For his part, Matthieu Pavon picked up his phone to call Thierry David, editor-in-chief of golf in the Canal+ sports editorial team, to express his dissatisfaction.
Since Thursday, the golfer has decided to boycott Dimitri Martin, Canal+ journalist in charge of interviews in the mixed zone at the exit of the course. The golfer, who now lives in Florida, received the support of some of the other French professionals present at the French Open (Victor Perez, Ugo Coussaud, Adrien Saddier, Julien Guerrier…) who, like him , refused to speak on the encrypted channel. “I wasn’t on the air Thursday, specifies Thierry David. I reported to Patrice Barquez and Fabrice Tarnaud that they had said stupid things live. They apologized for their comments and acknowledged their awkwardness. This is now a private explanation to be conducted between them, Beatrice and her family. For me, this story is over.”
