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Manassero sets a hot pace in Spain with a course record-equalling 64

EUROPEAN TOUR: EIGHTEEN-YEAR-old Matteo Manassero is the man – or rather boy – to catch after a course record-equalling start…

Fri Mar 16 2012 - 00:00

EUROPEAN TOUR:EIGHTEEN-YEAR-old Matteo Manassero is the man – or rather boy – to catch after a course record-equalling start to the Andalucian Open at Aloha yesterday

The young Italian player, still in with a chance of qualifying for next month’s US Masters, fired an eight-under-par 64 for a three-stroke lead.

Joint second are ex-Ryder Cup Swede Niclas Fasth, English duo Anthony Wall and qualifying school graduate Lloyd Kennedy, South African Hennie Otto and Spain’s Eduardo de la Riva.

Manassero is currently 63rd in the world and has this tournament and next week’s Hassan Trophy in Morocco to try to make it into the top 50 for Augusta.

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He was there as British amateur champion two years ago, made the halfway cut and six months later became the European Tour’s youngest-ever winner.

That came at Sergio Garcia’s home course in Castellon and being back on Spanish soil brought back memories.

“It’s quite similar, but a little bit more hilly,” Manassero said after matching the score of Lee Westwood en route to his winning of the same title in 2007.

Seven of the par fours are under 400 yards and the teenager, who ranks 173rd out of 185 in driving distance on the circuit, added: “It’s a course that suits me and hopefully it will be my week.

“You have to put the ball in play and then do well around the greens. I did pretty much everything right apart from one shot.”

He bogeyed the seventh, his 16th, after a poor pitch, but already had seven birdies on his card and finished with two more.

Fasth, with only one top-three finish in the last four seasons, eagled the long 16th and had six birdies to reach six under, but finished with his third bogey.

Former Masters champion Mike Weir, trying to reignite his career following elbow surgery, opened with a 68, while Abu Dhabi winner Robert Rock and Miguel Angel Jimenez returned 69s playing with Manassero.

Damien McGrane and Michael Hoey were the best of the Irish with rounds of 69. Shane Lowry shot 71, while Gareth Maybin and Simon Thornton had opening 72s. Peter Lawrie trailed the field after a disappointing 78.