VIRGINIA WATER, England, May 26 (Reuters) - Rookie of the Year Matteo Manassero shrugged off swirling 30 kms an hour winds and squally showers to equal his best round of the season in the PGA Championship first round at Wentworth on Thursday.
“I am getting more confident all the time. I have won twice and that gives me a lot of confidence, seeing yourself on the leaderboard gives you confidence,” added the Italian after finishing two shots adrift of early leader Luke Donald.
Manassero, who also won the Castello Masters in Spain in October, said his game was still a work in progress.
“I am still not where I want to be with my swing,” the teenager explained. “But it’s getting better all the time.
“I’m also getting a big longer off the tee too.”
Manassero, who has a similar physique to world number two Donald, is putting in long hours in the gym in order to build up extra strength.
“I’m training physically more,” he said. “I have no doubt that players like Luke and I can do really well.
“Luke, I think, is the guy that’s playing the best golf (in the world) at the moment.”
Manassero is looking forward to taking on the best players from both sides of the Atlantic when he makes his U.S. Open debut in Maryland next month.
“The majors are still big for me,” he said. “I don’t know if the Congressional course will suit me or not but it will be a good experience.”
The 18-year-old Italian posted six birdies and a solitary bogey to compile a five-under 66 and match the score he carded in the opening round of last month’s Malaysian Open, a tournament he went on to win.
“It was windy, really tough…putting wasn’t easy either but if you put the ball in play you did more than 50 percent of the job,” Manassero told reporters at the European Tour’s flagship event.“I am getting more confident all the time. I have won twice and that gives me a lot of confidence, seeing yourself on the leaderboard gives you confidence,” added the Italian after finishing two shots adrift of early leader Luke Donald.
Manassero, who also won the Castello Masters in Spain in October, said his game was still a work in progress.
“I am still not where I want to be with my swing,” the teenager explained. “But it’s getting better all the time.
“I’m also getting a big longer off the tee too.”
Manassero, who has a similar physique to world number two Donald, is putting in long hours in the gym in order to build up extra strength.
“I’m training physically more,” he said. “I have no doubt that players like Luke and I can do really well.
“Luke, I think, is the guy that’s playing the best golf (in the world) at the moment.”
Manassero is looking forward to taking on the best players from both sides of the Atlantic when he makes his U.S. Open debut in Maryland next month.
“The majors are still big for me,” he said. “I don’t know if the Congressional course will suit me or not but it will be a good experience.”
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