Matthieu Pavon wins first-ever DP World title as he clinches victory in the Spanish Open

The Spanish Open ended this Sunday with the surprise victory of Matthieu Pavon. The Frenchman won with a score of 23-under 261, four strokes ahead of South African Zander Lombard.

His triumph at the Spanish Open is Pavon's first victory on the DP World Tour after 184 starts on the circuit. His best results were three second-place finishes, obtained in 2019, 2021, and 2022.

The Frenchman led the tournament from the very first day and never relinquished the lead. He had an excellent first round of 63 with an eagle, seven birdies, and only one bogey, while on Friday he shot a 68 with three birdies and one bogey.

On the moving day, Matthiew Pavon picked up the pace again, carding a 66 with six birdies and one bogey. He closed in style on Sunday with a round of seven birdies and zero bogeys for a 64.

It is Pavon's fourth professional victory in 10 years. He previously won the 2014 Rebetz International Open and the 2015 Servizitalia Open (both on the Apes Tour) and the 2018 Open Mont de Marsan (on the French Tour).

Prior to winning in Spain, Pavon accumulated three second-place finishes, three third-place finishes, 15 other top-10s, and 112 cuts in seven seasons on the DP World Tour.

On the PGA Tour, the Frenchman has played in just eight events, making three cuts. His best finish is a T25 at the 2018 US Open.

Spanish Open: Final leaderboard explored

Second place at the 2023 Spanish Open went to South Africa's Zander Lombard, who bounced back from a second-round 70 to move from 18th to second at 19-under 265.

In third place was England's Nathan Kimsey, who remained in contention throughout the Spanish Open. His final score was 18-under 266.

Matthiew Pavon (Image via Getty).

One of the most spectacular performances of the event came from Germany's Marcel Siem.

Siem bounced back from a third-round 71 to shoot his personal low score for a round (61). This allowed him to climb 30 places on the leaderboard and finish in a tie for fourth.

As for the top players present at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid, defending champion Jon Rahm finished T9 at 14-under 270. Rahm's 2023 Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose finished T57 at 5-under 279.

The Spanish Open has been played since 1912 and has been part of the DP World Tour since its inception in 1972. During its 96 editions, many greats have played and won there.

Among the legends who have lifted the trophy are Roberto de Vicenzo, Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomery, Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, and Jon Rahm.

The record for most editions won is held by Spaniard Angel de la Torre (5). Jon Rahm holds the record for aggregate (259) and to par (-25), which he set when he won his third edition of the tournament (2022).