Italian golfer Matteo Manassero at the Doha Golf Club during the Commercialbank Qatar Masters 2012 Picture by Vinod Divakaran
THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL HAS BEEN BUILT UP TO BE ABOUT SOME OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST STARS AND MUCH OF THE TALK THIS WEEK HAS BEEN ABOUT THE FUTURE, BUT ON THURSDAY MORNING IT WAS A STAR FROM THE PAST WHO SHONE BRIGHTEST, REMINDING US WHAT A SPECIAL TALENT HE IS.
ITALY'S MATTEO MANASSERO WAS ONCE THE RISING STAR OF WORLD GOLF WITH 4 DP WORLD TOUR WINS IN CONSECUTIVE SEASONS BEFORE THE AGE OF 21 INCLUDING THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AT WENTWORTH, THE NOW 28-YEAR-OLD ALSO WON 2 CO-SANCTIONED EVENTS WITH THE ASIAN TOUR, THE MAYBANK MALAYSIAN OPEN AND THE BARCLAYS SINGAPORE OPEN. IN 2013 MANASSERO WAS RANKED AS HIGH AS 25TH IN THE WORLD, AND HE SEEMED THE LEADING CANDIDATE TO BECOME ITALY'S FIRST MAJOR CHAMPION, AND SOMEONE WITH THE GAME AND PERSONALITY TO POPULARISE GOLF IN HIS HOME COUNTRY.
SHOCKINGLY MANASSERO EXPERIENCED A DRAMATIC LOSS OF FORM DUE TO SWING CHANGES AND INJURIES, AND THE YOUNG STAR WENT INTO A DEEP DECLINE, FALLING FROM THE TOP 30 IN THE WORLD TO OUTSIDE THE TOP 1000 ON THE OFFICIAL GOLF RANKING BETWEEN 2013 AND 2019. HE MISSED 83 CUTS IN JUST 6 YEARS AND WENT FROM THE BRIGHT YOUNG THING OF EUROPEAN GOLF TO AN ALSO RAN WHO PEOPLE WERE BEGINNING TO FORGET ABOUT.
THEN IN 2020 THE PANDEMIC STRUCK AND WITH ALMOST NO STATUS ON TOUR MANASSERO ENTERED THE TOSCANA ALPS OPEN ON THE ALPS TOUR, A THIRD-LEVEL SATELLITE TOUR TO THE DP WORLD TOUR. THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING HAS EXPANDED OVER THE LAST DECADE TO INCLUDE THESE THIRD LEVEL TOURS IN A BID TO WIDEN THE BASE OF PROFESSIONAL GOLF AND GIVE A CHANCE FOR STARS TO EMERGE FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
AND THIS EVENT MAY WELL BE THE MOST CRUCIAL OF ALL IN THE CAREER OF MANASSERO. THE 28-YEAR-OLD FROM VERONA CLAIMED VICTORY BY A SINGLE SHOT FROM Angel Hidalgo Portillo AND EARNED 4 OWGR POINTS, THE MOST POINTS HE HAD EARNED IN AN OWGR EVENT SINCE THE 2017 HERO INDIAN OPEN. THE VICTORY GOT HIM BACK INSIDE THE WORLD'S TOP 1000 AND SET HIM UP FOR A MORE POSITIVE 2021.
LAST YEAR MANASSERO BEGAN WITH TWO RUNNERS-UP FINISHES ON THE ALPS TOUR AND RETURNED TO THE CHALLENGE TOUR, AND HE HAD THE MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR HE HAS HAD IN THE LAST 8 YEARS SINCE HE WAS IN THE TOP 30 OF THE WORLD. 4 TOP 10 FINISHES ON THE CHALLENGE TOUR SAW HIM FINISH 33RD ON THE RANKINGS, JUST MISSING OUT ON A DP WORLD TOUR CARD, BUT HE RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK, AND IT COULD END UP BEING A PIVOTAL WEEK FOR THE ITALIAN.
THE YOUNGEST WINNER OF A DP WORLD TOUR EVENT IN THE MODERN ERA MADE A BLISTERING START TO HIS ROUND ON THURSDAY MORNING, MAKING 6 BIRDIES AND NO BOGEYS IN AN OUTWARD NINE OF 29, BEFORE 2 FURTHER BIRDIES AT THE START OF THE BACK NINE AND NO DROPPED SHOTS SAW HIM POST A STUNNING 8-UNDER-PAR 62. THE ROUND GIVES HIM A CURRENT 2 STROKE LEAD OVER SAM HORSFIELD, WITH DUSTIN JOHNSON A SHOT FURTHER BACK. THE AFTERNOON WAVE OF PLAYERS ARE NOW ON THE BACK NINE INCLUDING LEE WESTWOOD, PHIL MICKELSON AND BUBBA WATSON.
ITALY'S MATTEO MANASSERO WAS ONCE THE RISING STAR OF WORLD GOLF WITH 4 DP WORLD TOUR WINS IN CONSECUTIVE SEASONS BEFORE THE AGE OF 21 INCLUDING THE BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP AT WENTWORTH, THE NOW 28-YEAR-OLD ALSO WON 2 CO-SANCTIONED EVENTS WITH THE ASIAN TOUR, THE MAYBANK MALAYSIAN OPEN AND THE BARCLAYS SINGAPORE OPEN. IN 2013 MANASSERO WAS RANKED AS HIGH AS 25TH IN THE WORLD, AND HE SEEMED THE LEADING CANDIDATE TO BECOME ITALY'S FIRST MAJOR CHAMPION, AND SOMEONE WITH THE GAME AND PERSONALITY TO POPULARISE GOLF IN HIS HOME COUNTRY.
SHOCKINGLY MANASSERO EXPERIENCED A DRAMATIC LOSS OF FORM DUE TO SWING CHANGES AND INJURIES, AND THE YOUNG STAR WENT INTO A DEEP DECLINE, FALLING FROM THE TOP 30 IN THE WORLD TO OUTSIDE THE TOP 1000 ON THE OFFICIAL GOLF RANKING BETWEEN 2013 AND 2019. HE MISSED 83 CUTS IN JUST 6 YEARS AND WENT FROM THE BRIGHT YOUNG THING OF EUROPEAN GOLF TO AN ALSO RAN WHO PEOPLE WERE BEGINNING TO FORGET ABOUT.
THEN IN 2020 THE PANDEMIC STRUCK AND WITH ALMOST NO STATUS ON TOUR MANASSERO ENTERED THE TOSCANA ALPS OPEN ON THE ALPS TOUR, A THIRD-LEVEL SATELLITE TOUR TO THE DP WORLD TOUR. THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKING HAS EXPANDED OVER THE LAST DECADE TO INCLUDE THESE THIRD LEVEL TOURS IN A BID TO WIDEN THE BASE OF PROFESSIONAL GOLF AND GIVE A CHANCE FOR STARS TO EMERGE FROM ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.
AND THIS EVENT MAY WELL BE THE MOST CRUCIAL OF ALL IN THE CAREER OF MANASSERO. THE 28-YEAR-OLD FROM VERONA CLAIMED VICTORY BY A SINGLE SHOT FROM Angel Hidalgo Portillo AND EARNED 4 OWGR POINTS, THE MOST POINTS HE HAD EARNED IN AN OWGR EVENT SINCE THE 2017 HERO INDIAN OPEN. THE VICTORY GOT HIM BACK INSIDE THE WORLD'S TOP 1000 AND SET HIM UP FOR A MORE POSITIVE 2021.
LAST YEAR MANASSERO BEGAN WITH TWO RUNNERS-UP FINISHES ON THE ALPS TOUR AND RETURNED TO THE CHALLENGE TOUR, AND HE HAD THE MOST SUCCESSFUL YEAR HE HAS HAD IN THE LAST 8 YEARS SINCE HE WAS IN THE TOP 30 OF THE WORLD. 4 TOP 10 FINISHES ON THE CHALLENGE TOUR SAW HIM FINISH 33RD ON THE RANKINGS, JUST MISSING OUT ON A DP WORLD TOUR CARD, BUT HE RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL THIS WEEK, AND IT COULD END UP BEING A PIVOTAL WEEK FOR THE ITALIAN.
THE YOUNGEST WINNER OF A DP WORLD TOUR EVENT IN THE MODERN ERA MADE A BLISTERING START TO HIS ROUND ON THURSDAY MORNING, MAKING 6 BIRDIES AND NO BOGEYS IN AN OUTWARD NINE OF 29, BEFORE 2 FURTHER BIRDIES AT THE START OF THE BACK NINE AND NO DROPPED SHOTS SAW HIM POST A STUNNING 8-UNDER-PAR 62. THE ROUND GIVES HIM A CURRENT 2 STROKE LEAD OVER SAM HORSFIELD, WITH DUSTIN JOHNSON A SHOT FURTHER BACK. THE AFTERNOON WAVE OF PLAYERS ARE NOW ON THE BACK NINE INCLUDING LEE WESTWOOD, PHIL MICKELSON AND BUBBA WATSON.
“It was one of those days in which everything was going my way,” said the Italian.
“I was playing really solid, giving myself a lot of birdie chances, a lot of really short ones, as well. So just got the round going and just felt comfortable. That’s the right word, I guess.”
He added: “I’m curious to see what 2022 has for me. I worked really well, and I’m happy with the work I’ve done. Obviously, it started really good. There’s going to be some lows, there’s going to be some ups, but I’m ready for it and see what happens.”
FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD 14:42 local timeHe added: “I’m curious to see what 2022 has for me. I worked really well, and I’m happy with the work I’ve done. Obviously, it started really good. There’s going to be some lows, there’s going to be some ups, but I’m ready for it and see what happens.”
1 Matteo Manassero -8
2 Sam Horsfield -6
Adri Arnaus -6
4 Dustin Johnson -5
Joohyung Kim -5
Phachara Khongwatmai -5
SELECTED OTHERS
JASON KOKRAK -4
PATRICK REED -4
HENRIK STENSON -4
XANDER SCHAUFFELE -3
IAN POULTER -2
SHANE LOWRY -2
TONY FINAU -2
JED MORGAN +4
