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Future Major Contender - Matteo Manassero

IrishGolfer

Fac ut gaudeam
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Sep 1, 2004
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Italy's Matteo Manassero has been named the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for 2010 following an amazing start to his professional career highlighted by him becoming the youngest player to win in the history of the European Tour.

Manassero won the Castello Masters at the age of 17 years and 188 days and finished 31st in the 2010 Race to Dubai.

Manassero is the first Italian to win the award which is judged by The R&A, the Association of Golf Writers and the European Tour. He is also the tenth golfer from continental Europe and 46th recipient in total of the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award which was launched in 1960.

Other winners include Nick Faldo, Tony Jacklin, Sandy Lyle, José Maria Olazábal, Colin
Montgomerie, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey and Martin Kaymer.

To achieve what he has after turning professional in May is astonishing. To do so while coming across as a polite, decent and intelligent teenager is reassuring for those of us who care about such things. If he matures as we all hope he will, then the European Tour has another genuine global star.
 

slickpitt

Well-Known Member
Aug 15, 2006
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It's so incredibly hard to tell how kids like that will fair over their career. They have so much growing to do, both physically and mentally/emotionally. Look at Sergio, I would have put money on him winning several majors 10 years ago. Ty Tryon is another one that looked like he would be a winner.

Matteo certainly has a good chance though... only time will tell!
 
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IrishGolfer

IrishGolfer

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Agreed, only time will tell. Seems a well balanced guy with good family support. He is learning his trade well.
 

TheTrueReview

"Playing it straight"
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Jan 8, 2009
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IG, I was only thinking the same this week. I think he shows incredible promise and he is going about his business nice & quiet. IMO the best thing for him would be to not consider any invitations to the USPGA tour for the next 3 years & stay on the Euro tour. The US media hype that would descend on a youngster like him, would be an incredibly unwanted distraction. Remember the incredible hype of Rio Ishikawa of 12 months ago? Remember the hype of Anthony Kim 2 years ago? The US media are clamouring for stories on the Next Big Thing. And it's all about their ratings and nothing about the interests of the NBT. After they've picked over the NBT for as much news as they can wring out of him, if he hasn't matched up to the promise, they'll drop him like a hot potato.
 

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