Last year I had a chance to talk with Manassero after his third round. The timing wasn't ideal; the Italian had just missed a six-foot birdie putt on the last hole to leave himself in a tie for eighth heading into the final day's play. He had shot a tidy 67 but having never met Manassero before, I was a little hesitant in approaching him for an interview. If he'd made the putt it wouldn't have been an issue; but having walked away with only a par there was every chance he'd be in a foul mood.
As it happens, I needn't have worried.
I caught Manassero's attention just as he was leaving the scoring tent located behind the 18th green of the Old Course. He didn't appear to be especially annoyed, but by the same token he wasn't exactly grinning from ear to ear. Indeed it was difficult to gauge his emotions at all. I threw caution to the wind and I decided to ask him for a few minutes of his time. He agreed – indeed he seemed happy to do so – and I walked away, five minutes or so later, having formed a new impression of the precocious 17-year-old. He seemed to me the most determined professional I had ever met.
It was of no surprise to me when he blitzed the course the very next day, taking advantage of ideal scoring conditions to card a brilliant 62. He might not have won, but his final-round charge proved that he is never one to underestimate, especially at Fanling which places less of an emphasis on power hitting than any other layout on tour.
Of all the shots played at last year's tournament, it was Manassero's second to the par-five 13th (now the 12th) in the final round that I remember best. One of the shorter hitters in the field, Manassero had put himself within range of the green and proceeded to hit a beautiful high fade with a fairway wood that came to rest within 10 feet of the hole. He knocked in the eagle putt with authority.
Following his strong showing in Hong Kong, Manassero won his second European Tour title at the Maybank Malaysian Open in April. And although he hasn't had a victory since the youthful Italian has made several significant improvements to his game that will surely make him a strong contender once again at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
Manassero has added an extra five yards on average to his drives compared to last year without any serious loss of accuracy. Having shorter shots into the greens is always an advantage, and with his stunning iron play, Manassero will really be able to capitalize.
In truth, he already is. His greens-in-regulations stats are up on 12 months ago, while he is also taking less putts per green than ever before. Hitting more greens and holing more putts is what every player – weekend hacker to full-blown tour pro – strives for. And for Manassero, who was already a brilliant reader of greens before this season, this could reap him yet more gold at Fanling, where judging the notoriously tricky putting surfaces is an art in itself.
Improved stats are all well and good, but it could well be Manassero's affinity with the Composite Course that proves just as important. The old saying "horses for courses" is just as relevant in golf as it is on the track. There are countless examples where an out-of-form pro has turned up at a course where he's had previous success and gone out and produced unexpected magic. Manassero's game is in solid – if not spectacular – shape at the moment, but the familiar surroundings of the Hong Kong Golf Club, combined with that near unparalleled determination means he'll almost certainly play a significant role at this year's championship.
Click here to see the published article.
