Matteo Manassero Triumphs in South Africa: A Glorious Return to the DP World Tour

Ten years and ten months after the last time, Matteo Manassero returns to success on the top European men's golf circuit. In South Africa, the 30-year-old from Veneto won, with a total of 262 (68 61 67 66, -26) shots, the Jonsson Workwear Open. For the Italian, who had not won on the DP World Tour since May 26, 2013 (BMW PGA Championship), it is the fifth career victory on the circuit. In Edenvale, near Johannesburg, Manassero took the lead in the second round, when he achieved his best round in his career (61, -11), and never let it go. Decisive, in the end, were four consecutive birdies. Italian golf thus rediscovers one of its most awaited champions, who still holds the record as the youngest winner on the DP World Tour (formerly known as the European Tour) thanks to his exploit in Spain at the Castelló Masters 2010 at the age of 17 years, 6 months and 5 days. Stronger even than bad weather, which in South Africa caused a suspension of play for two hours and thirty minutes, after 3,942 days Manassero has thus found success on the DP World Tour again. On May 26, 2013, he triumphed in England at the BMW PGA Championship, the circuit's most prestigious tournament, reaching the 25th place in the world ranking. After the records, the once child prodigy of Italian golf however lost his way. In September 2020, starting from the bottom, he won the Toscana Alps Open (Alps Tour and Italian Pro Tour). Then, in 2023, he doubled his victories on the Challenge Tour by first taking, in Denmark, the Copenhagen Challenge and then, in Sutri (Viterbo), the Italian Challenge Open. Then, he regained the 'full card' to play on the DP World Tour 2024. And now he has returned to winning and dreaming on the most important European circuit in a crucial year also in view of the Paris Games. After debuting at Rio de Janeiro 2016, Manassero aims to play his second Olympics. At the end of the competition, the Italian said he was more than happy: 'I am incredibly happy to be here, with this trophy in my hands. I think I played really well, throughout the tournament. Golf is a difficult sport, during every competition difficult moments are faced, but if you manage to overcome them then you see the light. The end of the race was fantastic, I'm very happy.'