CASTELLON, SPAIN | On the European Tour,
it turns out, youth is not wasted on the young
after all.
Italian teen Matteo Manassero – all 17 years
and 188 days of him – roared down the stretch
in Spain Sunday to leave third-round leader
Gary Boyd in the dust and capture the Castello
Masters Costa Azahar by four shots.
In only his 10th start since turning profes-
sional earlier this year, Manassero is now the
youngest winner in the storied history of the
European Tour. As one local television an-
nouncer put it: “He was pretty hot property
before. But he’s scalding now.”
En route to a 4-under-par final round of 67,
Manassero strung birdies at the 13th, 14th and
15th holes to obliterate what had been a two-
shot lead through 12 for England’s Boyd.
Spain’s Ignacio Garrido eventually snuck
in for second place all by himself on 12 under.
Boyd, with Manassero’s tire tracks all over his
back, faded to a share of third with Joost Luiten
of the Netherlands, Ireland’s Peter Lawrie and
Sweden’s Christian Nilsson.
“I am a winner already,” said the startled
Manassero afterward. “This is much earlier
than I thought.” The previous youngest Euro
Tour winner was Danny Lee, then an amateur,
who was 18 years and 213 days old when he
won the Johnnie Walker Classic in 2008.
“It’s just a fantastic feeling,” said Manas-
sero, who added that the most important putt
of the day for him might have been the par
save he jarred on the 12th hole at the Club de
Campo del Mediterraneo to stay within two of
Boyd. “A special moment. This opens for me a
lot of opportunities. Even though I was looking
calm, I was very nervous.”
Spain’s Sergio Garcia, playing for the first
time since the PGA Championship in August,
shot a second-round 73 and missed the cut in
his hometown.
Meanwhile, the European golf community
breathed a collective sigh of relief when victori-
ous Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie
escaped serious injury in a car accident in Scot-
land Thursday. Driving his BMW, Montgomerie
said the accident involved a van and one other
vehicle. “I am lucky to have come out of it
relatively unscathed,” he said. “It was a terrible
shock.” RESULTS
Staff and Wire Reports
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