Seventeen-year-old golfer Matteo Manassero is being hailed in Italy as “The New Tiger Woods” and “The New Ballesteros” after winning the Castello Masters in Spain on Sunday, thus becoming the youngest player ever to win a European title.
Manassero told ANSA that the win was a dream come true for him and that his ambition is to play in the Ryder Cup. He acknowledges, however, that he is going to have to take things one step at a time.
Matteo Manassero was born in Negrar [Verona Province] in 1993 and began playing golf at the age of three and a half. He joined the GardaGolf Country Club at Soiano del Lago [Brescia, Lombardy] and his trainer was Franco Maestroni from Bergamo.
In 2009 Matteo became the youngest ever winner of the British Amateur Championship, which qualified him to play in the 2009 Open Championship, in which he finished tied 13th.
In April this year he became the youngest golfer to play in the Masters Tournament. He officially turned professional on 3rd May 2010.
Matteo is flattered by the comparisons to Woods and Ballesteros and says that the latter is his hero.
Italy Magazine wishes Matteo well.
