Matteo is Euro Rookie of the year

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Italian teenager Matteo Manassero has been named as the European Tour’s Rookie of the Year after a brilliant first season.

Italian teenager Matteo Manassero has been named as the European Tour’s Rookie of the Year after a brilliant first season.

Manassero, who turned professional after The Masters in April, went on from there to become the youngest winner in European Tour history at the Castello Masters in October.

Manassero was just 17 years and 188 days old when he secured his two-shot victory in Valencia.

Then, despite only playing for the last part of the season, the former British Amateur champion, went on to finish 31st in the Race to Dubai.

He also set new benchmarks at Augusta where he also became the youngest amateur to compete in the Masters and the youngest player to make the halfway cut.

After being honoured with the Sir Henry Cotton trophy, he said: “I never expected to win so quickly. To win the rookie of the year award is a perfect way to end my first season as a professional.

“It is such a special award because you only get one chance to win it.

“When you see the amazing players that have won it in the past and you see how important these players were in golf’s history, it is very exciting to have your name engraved beside their’s.

“Then you see that Martin Kaymer won the rookie of the year only three years ago and now he is the No 1 in Europe. I hope I can follow in Martin’s footsteps one day.”

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