Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Pádraig Harrington have spoke of their admiration for Matteo Manassero, who has battled back from the golfing doldrums to put himself in a great position to win the BMW PGA Championship for the second time and complete a remarkable comeback story.
Manassero will take a three-shot lead into the final round in Wentworth as he looks for his second DP World Tour title of his comeback season while he is chasing a second win here since landing the biggest win of his career in 2013.
The Italian looked destined for a long career at the top of the game when he became the youngest male golfer to reach top 40 in the world: (17.99 yo) and the youngest male golfer to reach top 30 in the world: (18.11 yo), he was also the youngest golfer to win a European Tour event in 2010 (17).
After four European Tour wins, Manassero went chasing distance in order to reach the next level but instead he completely lost his game and went tumbling down the divisions from 2016.
It wasn’t until 2020 that he won his first professional event in seven years, on then Alps Tour.
His recovery really began to gather momentum when he won twice on the Challenge Tour last season to secure a return to the DP World Tour before winning in South Africa in March for his first title at this level in a decade.
Now he is one win away from securing a PGA Tour card for next season and a place inside the top-100 in the world for the first time since 2014.
“It is incredible because it literally never happens,” Pádraig Harrington told Denis Kirwan of Meridian Media. “The other does happen, nearly every player gets to a stage where their career peaks, eighteen months or two years and they are never as good again.
“Some can hide it and will continue on and keep their card, Matteo’s was a big fall. He went from being the leading lights on the tour and once his game was gone, fair play to him for going on the mini tours, pulling his own bag and he was at the very bottom.
“It’s one thing to be there with the hope of going forward but when you have already been at the top and are at the bottom and everyone looking at you, talking about you is seriously impressive.
“His attitude must be seriously impressive and it’s great to see him back.”
Rory McIlroy will be one of the players trying to stop Manassero from completing a dream victory today and he knows what to expect from the 31-year-old having played with him in the final round last week at the Irish Open.
“It’s unbelievable. I don’t think you would find one player on tour that isn’t so happy for him. To be like a young phenom and then lose your game, and go play the Alps Tour and play; I guess the character that you need to do that.
“Yeah, it’s amazing to see. I was really impressed when I played with him in Scotland earlier this year in July and obviously the final round together last week; again, this week.
“It’s really great to see. He’s such a nice guy, level-headed and good to see him back to where he belongs.”
Shane Lowry’s bid for a second title at Wentworth is over but he believes Manassero is an example to all golfers who are struggling with their game.
“I feel like a lot of people could learn a thing or two from what he has done. Fair play to him, I’d say 90% of people would have given up by now but he has stuck with it.”