Italian teenager Matteo Manassero surprises the golfing world – PGA update
A youngster from Italy, Matteo Manassero, who made his debut as a professional on the PGA Tour at the Accenture Match Play event the past week, performed exceptionally well in his two matches against the experienced veteran Steve Stricker
and Charles Schwartzel. Much was expected from him and he rose to meet the challenge. In the end he was unable to curb the onslaught of the eventual winner, Luke Donald, in the third round and lost his match.
The 17-year-old from Negrar, Italy, showed his brilliance and class in the tournament in the presence of some of the top ranked professionals of the world. Manassero was nowhere to be seen on the PGA Tour circuit as he was playing on
the European Tour last year. He made a great mark on the golfing arena and surprised many with his shot making ability and skills.
Manassero was paired against Donald in the third round. The Englishman had no idea about the game of the youngster and was astonished by his age. But it was the experience and class of the world number three which denied the teenager
a quarter-final place in the Match Play championships.
It was last year at the Masters when Matteo made the cut and redefined the record books. The young phenom participated in the major championship as an amateur. Manassero was the youngest player ever at the age of 16 to make it past the cut line in the Masters
and broke the record set by Bobby Cole.
As the championship concluded last year in April, the rising star from Italy decided to change his playing status to a professional. He officially declared himself as a playing professional on 3rd May 2010. Since then, things have been going the
teenager’s way. His recent victories over the American Stricker and Schwartzel clearly depict his talent and ability to compete against world class golfers. The 53rd ranked professional also achieved a milestone in his early career by improving
his rankings and making headlines.
There was a slight opportunity for the Italian had he won against Donald. He would have moved in to the top-50 rankings and made it through to the Cadillac World Championships, which will be played in Miami from next week. This would have also confirmed
his seat in the Masters starting next month.
This teenager marked his first win on the European Tour last year at Castello Masters Costa Azahar held in Spain. Another record was broken as he became the youngest winner on Tour to beat the previous record set by Danny Lee in 2009. A score of 16-under
par in the four day championship in Spain showcased his talent and ability to battle against the best.
The total prize money captured by this youngster up till now is more than a million Euros and much more is yet to come. Before the Masters starts, he has a month to improve his rankings further among the top-50 so that he can earn a spot in the major championship.
The European Tour’s youngest member is enjoying his golfing success. His compatriots the, Molinari brothers, were proud of him and happy to see another star from Italy in the making. This is a dream run for Manssero who is hungry for more success in the
early days of his career.
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