In an exclusive interview ahead of his defence of the Castellon Masters, Italian golfing stallion, Matteo Manassero sat down with www.golfbytourmiss.com to discuss his incredible last 12 months.

In our interview Matteo says he’s still too young to be considering playing in the 2012 Ryder Cup.   Matteo also says ‘No’ to taking up PGA Tour membership.

And while he was delighted to win the Maybank Malaysian Open earlier this year, Matteo talks of the lessons he learned from the disappointment of letting slip victory in the BMW PGA Championship.

As well, the 18-year old who has earned in excess of Euro 1.5m in just 37 Tour events reveals how he would like the media to kick start a rivalry between he and Rory McIlroy even though they are both good friends.

www.golfbytourmiss.com:      Matteo, thank you so much for your time.  Do you sometimes still pinch yourself how much you have achieved in a short time since turning professional?

Manassero:     Yes, after winning the Castellon Masters everything went really well and my expectations grew bigger and then I managed to have a second win in Malaysia which was great.   It was important to me after winning my first tournament to win again because it gave me the assurance I was competitive.

So that win in Malaysia was very important to me but then from Malaysia I underwent a few swing changes that are now starting to help improve my game, and it is much better than i has ever been since I first started playing golf.

I am happy with the way my year has gone. I am still inside the top-50 on the World Rankings and I also feel I am more experienced and everything.

Qn:      When you won the Castellon Masters was it a surprise?

Ans:     Yes it was a little bit of a surprise. 

Qn:      But as you said winning in Malaysia was confirmation you could be competitive?

Ans:     Exactly.   When I won in Castellon it was a surprise because I didn’t really think I was ready and able to win on the European Tour.  The first year out you don’t really think about winning and it just happened.  So to have that second win in the Malaysian Open was a great boost in confidence.

Qn:      What is the biggest thing you’ve learnt since turning pro?

Ans:     How to manage bad rounds of golf.  It is really important thing when you’re not playing well and you still need to post a score you need to be to hang in there to save the week.  That’s really important.  Also the strategy you need to adopt when you are under pressure is something I have learnt and that comes from my amateur life.   I have also learnt to be afraid of how tough some golf courses can be. 

Also when I got myself into contention at the BMW PGA I was far too conservative with some of my decisions.  I am also learning how to think in a professional way compared to when I played so many years as an amateur.

So that was the two biggest things I’ve learned and that is being committed to shots that i have to take on and then to be able to manage bad rounds of golf.

Qn:      Was being in contention at Wentworth a big learning curve for you?

Ans:     I didn’t learn that much and is more a brilliant experience for me.

Qn:      It was the biggest tournament you’ve competed in where you were in contention?

Ans:     Yes it was. 

Qn:      The crowd support for you that week at Wentworth was amazing.  Where you aware of that support?

Ans:     Very much.  It was really good.  I love Wentworth as it a really brilliant golf course.  I didn’t like it before but the changes they have made really suits my game really well.   I am already looking forward to next year after having gone so close this year.  It was a sad ending for me but I did enjoy the week.

Qn:      Who has been the biggest influence in your short professional career?

Ans:     Francesco and Edoardo (Molinari) because they introduced me to many things about life on the Tour.    I have learned so much from them.   I play practice rounds with them and they have been fabulous in providing me with information how to play various golf courses that were new to me.

They have also introduced me to many other players and that has been very good for me in helping me settle into life on the Tour.

Qn:      What is the best piece of advice you have received since turning professional?

Ans:     I feel the best advice I can get is from bad memories.  I received a lot of advice after what happened at Wentworth.  I had a lot of advice when I missed the cut in The Open.  I will keep all the advice and hopefully it can help me when I get into that situation again.

Qn:      Are you afraid of anything when you play golf around the world?

Ans:     I can say I am not afraid of anything and I know when I go back to Wentworth next year I won’t be afraid and I will be able to make better decisions like being more aggressive and try to make more birdies.  I didn’t make one birdie that last day.   That really cost me the tournament.

Qn:      You are still growing and maturing so do you find yourself having to change much in your game?

Ans:     I am still growing physically and I am also growing mentally.  And as I am growing my golf game is changing.  I am undertaking my gym work than I have before and my golf swing has changed.   My old golf game has gone and my ball flight now has matured.  It is great for me now to see the ball flying higher and going longer.

Qn:      What is the best thing about being a professional golfer?

Ans:     The excitement of travelling to different tournaments and having the opportunity at the beginning of every week of being able to win.  That’s really exciting.  Having the adrenalin running in your body for about 28 events a year is really thrilling for me.   So there is the excitement of knowing that for 28 times you can win an event. 

Qn:      In contrast, and given you are still only 18 years of age, what is the downturn on being on the Tour?

Ans:     I miss all those things I would have the chance to do if I was at home.  I miss spending time with my friends, my family.  There’s other things you miss and not because I am a teenager.

Qn:      If you were not playing golf what do you think you would be doing?

Ans:     I don’t know. I would be studying because I am still studying.   Also I would be deciding what I am going to do with my life.    I still have the rest of this year and next year of study before I finish.   It involves a couple of exams.    It means that I will graduate from high school.   I want to graduate pretty much like everybody else does in Italy.

Qn:      You played in the Vivendi Seve Trophy this year and your first team event as a pro.  Are you thinking now you can qualify for the Ryder Cup team or is it too early in your career?

Ans:     To be honest everybody thinks about qualifying for the Ryder Cup team and even moreso as we are in the qualifying process at the moment.  But it’s a not a goal for me.  This will be the first chance I have to qualify but then I know I will have many more chances.  But then to play in a Ryder Cup my game has to also improve greatly.   The good thing is that I hopefully will have many more years on my side.

My main focus is to continue playing well and win another tournament and if I do make a lot of Ryder Cup points we will see what happens.

Qn:      Do you have thoughts of taking up PGA Tour membership?

Ans:     I haven’t thought deeply about that because for the moment I am happy competing on the European Tour.  I am happy to be based in Europe and I am happy, with my world ranking, to play a handful of events in America.

It will be a great experience for any golf player to compete as a member on the PGA Tour.  There is some fantastic tournaments on the PGA Tour.  So for the time being I am happy competing full in Europe as I do get to travel a lot to the U.S.

Qn:      Who do you admire or look up to the most on the Tour?

Ans:     The best player there is now is Rory.   I am good friends with him and we get on very well together.  He is just an amazing golfer and probably the most talented there is competing now.  He is a very consistent player and I admire his game very much.  Certainly, when Tiger is at a tournament or he walks up beside you he is still very intimidating but Rory is the most outstanding player out here at present.

Qn:      Have you played much with Rory?

Ans:     A couple of times.

Qn:      Is there much rivalry between the two of you?

Ans:     Sometimes.  But it would be good if the media would play up that line a lot more because I would love to be compared more often with Rory.  I would be very glad for it to be written that Rory and myself are great rivals.  But in reality when we are playing together in a tournament or practice rounds there is not that fierce rivalry.

Qn:      In conclusion you are heading to Australia later this year for a first time to contest the Australian Masters.   How much are you looking forward to that?

Ans:     Never been to Australia before, never.  It’s my first time but I am really looking forward to the journey and to competing in Melbourne.   My management company IMG asked me if I wanted to play the Australian Masters and I said ‘yes’.  I grabbed the chance immediately.   Luke Donald and Ian Poulter are playing so along with all the top Australians is should be a good week. I know it’s been played on the Victoria Golf club course but that’s about all I know.

It means that my season will be very long and will involve a lot of travelling, and it means I will have played about 27 or 28 events.

I know also it the last tournament Tiger won so it would be good to get my name on the trophy under his.  Also I am told you receive a gold jacket so that would be nice to take home and maybe I can add a green one to it pretty soon (smiling).

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