Matteo Manassero laments losing a place in Masters, vows to take down the Sicilian Open title
Italian teenage prodigy Matteo Manassero, who was contemplating a return to the Masters field this year, has now lost all hope after finishing joint sixth in last week’s Trophee Hassan II in Morocco.
The young Italian needed a victory to improve his ranking on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) and required a break-in to the top-50 to qualify for the first major event of the year.
Despite of his loss, Manassero has not lost hope and is now eyeing a victory on his home turf, the Sicilian Open this week.
He said, “Last week was a great week and I played some great golf, but I made a few too many bogeys in the final round and Michael played so well that it wasn’t to be my week. But I have played great in my last two tournaments, so the confidence is there
and I feel good about my game, and I am really looking forward to Sicily now”.
The 18-year-old Italian fell for disastrous bogeys in the final round to lose his grasp on the final holes in the event. Despite carding an eagle in the back nine on the final day, Manassero could not keep up with the pace of the round and lost consecutive
holes on the front nine.
He fell for two bogeys on the front and another double-bogey five to fall behind the ranks. He finished five shots behind the winner Northern Irishman Michael Hoey.
He added, “I am really happy to be playing in Sicily in front of my home crowd, in my own territory. If I can win there then it will be even better than if I had won in Morocco”.
Manassero made his first and the only appearance in Masters in the year 2010, where he finished for an impressive joint 36th, playing as a low amateur.
He hasn’t been able to qualify for the coveted event in the proceeding years, despite doing well on the international circuit.
The young Italian will now proceed to the next event on the European Tour calendar in hopes to bag the first title of the season.
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