Manassero Magic Continues In Madrid – Back Among World Top-100 For Time First In A Decade

2 weeks ago by 0

This week’s acciona Open de Espansia marks another plus in the re-emergence of Italian-born golfing heart-throb Matteo Manassero.

Manassero, 31, will tee-up in the Spanish capital as the new World No. 86 and the first time he has been ranked inside the top-100 on the official World Rankings since the first week of November, 2014,

Yes, it’s been just a few weeks shy of a decade since one of golf’s more affable competitors was last among the top-10o when in the week following missing the halfway cut in the 2014 Portugual Masters he dropped from 96th in the world to the World No. 108 in teeing-up three weeks later in the BMW Masters in China.

World Ranking-wise it got no better for the super-talented Italian golfer with his slide down the rankings finally bottomed out exactly four years ago this week in capturing the 2020 Alps Tour hosted Toscana Open, a victory that moved from a then career low of No. 1,805 in the world to World No. 920.

Since then, Manassero has dug deep commencing 2021 with a pair of seconds also on the Alps Tour and then in May 2023, he brilliantly heralded a hopeful return to his best with the first of two victories last year on the secondary Challenge Tour.  He then resoundingly confirmed he re-emergence with the second victory just five months later and than being none better than the Italian Challenge.

The two wins helped to end last year ninth on the Challenge Tour money list.

And with his place assured on the 2024 DP World Tour it took Manassero to end an 11-year Tour victory drought in just his seventh event in his return to the Tour with success in the co-sanctioned Jonsson Workwear Open.

Manassero grabbed a superb 3rd in last fortnight’s Irish Open before going so close to victory last week at Tour HQ in the BMW PGA Championship, and the event where in 2013 he became the then youngest winner in the history of the DP World Tour.

His effort in sharing fourth place behind American Billy Horscell, who he and Rory McIlroy were grouped over the final round, lifted Manassero to World No. 86.

The last time Manassero was anywhere near No. 86 in the world was 10-years and 10 days ago when he missed the cut at the 2014 KLM Open, dropping three spots to then World No. 88.

“I know what I’m doing much more; I think a better perspective about golf and being atop the leaderboard, but it’s not that comfortable”, Manassero was asked ahead of last week’s final round at Wentworth.

“It’s not easy to compete against at such a high level in tough conditions. It’s not easy. It’s not like the ideal comfort zone but that’s what we work for. That’s what we try and achieve. Just happy where I am”.

Manassero has always endeared himself to the golf world ever since late 2010 when, at the age of just 17 years, he became the youngest winner on the DP World Tour while his BMW PGA Championship triumph three years later was fairytale stuff.

And while he may have fallen shy of reliving the fairytale last Sunday in leafy Surrey, Manassero is clearly blossoming back to his best and isn’t that so good to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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