Manassero's win is his first since the 2013 BMW PGA Championship
Saturday 19 September 2020 16:00, UK
Four-time European Tour winner Matteo Manassero has ended a seven-year worldwide winless run by claiming a one-shot victory on the Alps Tour at the Toscana Alps Open.
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The Italian had once been inside the world's top 25 after following a glittering amateur career - where he reached world No 1 and made two major cuts - by winning four times on the European Tour before his 20th birthday.
Manassero has suffered a dramatic loss of form in recent years after trying to change his swing and has lost his playing status on the European Tour, with the 27-year-old arriving at Toscana Golf Club for the third-tier event as world No 1,805 after missing the cut in 23 of his last 25 worldwide starts.
Manassero set the pace with an eight-under 63 and added a second-round 66 on Friday, before posting a six-under 65 on the final day to end the week on 19 under and claim a one-shot victory.
He went into the final round a shot behind Spain's Angel Hidalgo Portillo, only to move ahead by following birdies at the fourth and sixth with an eagle-three at the par-five ninth.
After bogeying the 11th, Manassero regained control of the tournament with three straight birdies from the 14th before cancelling out a blemish at the 17th by matching Portillo's birdie at the par-five last.
It's his first win since the 2013 BMW PGA Championship, where he defeated Simon Khan and Marc Warren in a play-off, with the title expected to see him move back inside the world's top 1,000.
Manassero isn't currently in the field for the 2020 contest at Wentworth, which is part of the European Tour's Rolex Series, where three former Ryder Cup players have committed to taking part from October 8-11.
Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter and former world No 1 Lee Westwood have all confirmed they will feature next month, with Westwood's appearance coming 20 years on from winning the World Match Play Championship at the same venue.
The announcement follows the news last week that Danny Willett will return to defend his title, with Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tyrrell Hatton also heading back to the West Course.
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