Matteo Manassero set to return to Maybank Malaysian Open to defend his title
Matteo Manassero, one of the youngest players to land a European Tour title, confirmed today, March 19 that he will be returning to his favourite hunting ground to defend his title at Maybank Malaysian Open.
The event is scheduled from April 12 - 15 2012 at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club and will be co-sanctioned by both the Asian Tour and the European Tour.
Manassero won the title last year, amid a grizzled field of European and Asian Tour players, pulling in his second European Tour victory in all.
He won his first European Tour event , The Castello Masters Costa Azahar in Spain at the age of 17 years to become the youngest player to win a European Tour title in the history.
Manassero also has the accolade to make the halfway cut at the Masters at the age of 16 years, 11 months and 22 days to become youngest player to do so.
Manassero is now hoping to retain the Maybank title to continue with his winning streak on his favourite turf.
Mohamed Adam Wee, Chief Marketing Officer, Maybank lauded Manassero’s decision to return to defend his title and said,
"It has been a time-honoured tradition of the Maybank Malaysian Open that the reigning champion returns to defend his title and we are pleased to have Matteo Manassero in the line-up for the 2012 edition of the National Open”.
The young Italian prodigy is coming out of a strong finish at Open de Andalucía last week where he finished for an outright second, trailing the leader Julien Quesne by two strokes.
He played stunning golf throughout the weekend and surged to the top of the leaderboard in the opening round with a massive eight-under, 64.
Malaysian Golf Association president Admiral (R) Tan Sri Dato Setia' Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor also spoke on the occasion and commended Manassero for his trailblazing golf in such young age.
He said, "It is without a doubt that Matteo Manassero is a role model to many aspiring young golfers in the country. Having attained success at such a young age, we believe that players like him will inspire our brigade of junior champions to work harder and raise their standards”.
The event in Malaysia will kick off a series of European Tour co-sanctioned events on the Asian turf where many of the renowned Asian players will have a chance to wrestle the sturdy Europeans on their home course.
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