Matteo Manassero ended his near 11-year wait for a fifth victory on Europe’s top tier circuit with an emotional triumph at the DP World Tour’s Jonsson Workwear Open in South Africa.
The 30-year-old Italian has experienced all the highs and lows that golf has to offer since becoming the European Tour’s youngest winner at the age of 17 years and 188 days at the 2010 Castelló Masters – a record he still holds.
When he lifted the trophy at the 2013 BMW PGA Championship for a fourth victory in as many seasons, he had the golfing world at his feet and it seemed impossible to think he would not win on the DP World Tour for another 3,942 days.
But five years later he found himself without full playing privileges and in the 18 starts he got in 2019, he made just a single cut, while also taking a brief break from golf completely.
A win on the Alps Tour in 2020 served as a boost to his confidence and last season he won twice on the Challenge Tour to reclaim his card after five years away.
On Friday at Glendower Golf Club, he shot the lowest round of his career with a 61 to take the lead, but the job was far from done, with five players holding at least a share of top spot on the back nine in round four.
A two-hour storm delay, as Manassero led by one on the 17th, only added to the drama, but he closed out a 66 to finish at 26 under and once more enter the winner’s circle, three shots ahead of local favourites Thriston Lawrence and Shaun Norris and England’s Jordan Smith.
“This is the best day of my life on a golf course for sure,” said Manassero, who finished his round with four birdies. “It’s been a crazy journey over the last couple of years. I knew that I was getting on the right track but then you never know. Even coming down the 18th with a good tee shot, you still have to do some work. Golf is a really difficult game, so I am just so incredibly happy to be here holding this trophy right now.
“I think I played really good golf today. It’s really hard. The guys behind were playing some incredible golf and every time you look at the leaderboard there is a different name with more birdies. There are always points during a round when you have some tough times that if you can get through them you see light, which I managed to do – and then the finish was amazing.”
Matteo Manassero WITB
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10°)
Fairway: Titleist TSR2 (15°)
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50, 54, 58)
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron Squareback 2 tour prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x