Matteo Manassero's fairytale run comes to an end at the hands of Luke Donald at the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship
Matteo Manassero’s whirlwind fairy tale romance came to an end on the third round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship at the hands of World No.9 Luke Donald.
The Italian was the youngest ever player, at the age of 17, to participate in the elite tournament. Manassero went four down after seven holes but despite fighting back, eventually lost 3 & 2.
Manassero was hardly disappointed by his performance, though. The week saw him beat South African Charl Schwartzel in the first round and eighth-ranked Steve Stricker in the second round of the tournament.
This meant he went further than most of the top seeded players of the tournament, including World No.1 Lee Westwood and World No.3 Tiger Woods.
His spirited fightback in the third round included an eagle on the par 5 13th hole and a birdie on the 15th. "I have done my best today," a thrilled Manassero told reporters. "I certainly didn't play worse than the other days. I just
met a tough competitor."
For the English golfer Luke Donald, it could hardly have been a better day. Today was also his daughter’s first birthday and with his win he has now advanced further in the tournament than ever previously.
He had a flawless bogey free round and finished five under par, and will now face American Ryan Moore in the quarterfinals. If he wins, he will replace Tiger Woods at the 3rd spot on the rankings.
He was all praise for the young Italian though, "Yes, he'd done well, alright. To take out Stricker and Schwartzel was quite something. I know I was nowhere near ready to be competing at 17. He's ahead of the curve, for sure."
"I played really solid today, didn't really give Matteo too much," he said. "Kept it in reasonably close, gave myself birdie chances. He pushed me at the end, but I held on."
Also making it to the quarterfinals is German, Martin Kaymer. The World No.2 made four consecutive birdies starting from the 13th, to come up from two down and defeat Hunter Mahan on the 17th.
He will now face 47-year-old Miguel Jimenez, the oldest player currently in the field. If Kaymer makes it to the finals he will displace Westwood on the top of the World Golf Rankings.
America’s biggest hitter Bubba Watson is also still in contention, and his long drives make him a favourite for the win. He faces another one of America’s big hitters, JB Holmes, in the quarter finals.
Meanwhile, World No. 4 Graeme McDowell fell to Korean YE Yang 3 & 2. If Donald fails to win the tournament, the Northern Irishman will move to the 3rd spot.
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