Historic win for Manassero

Italian Matteo Manassero became the youngest winner of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after beating Englishman Simon Khan at the fourth extra hole.

Monday, May 27, 2013
Matteo Manassero- a fourth European Tour title aged just 20. Net photo.

Italian Matteo Manassero became the youngest winner of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth after beating Englishman Simon Khan at the fourth extra hole.Scotland’s Marc Warren had also finished on 10 under par but was eliminated after the first play-off hole.Khan - winner of this event three years ago - matched his closing 66 from 2010 and then had more than 90 minutes to wait to see that no one overhauled his target.Playing partners Warren and the 20-year-old Manassero failed to birdie either of the closing par fives to record matching rounds of 69, while Lee Westwood slumped from two shots clear after four holes to three off the play-off after a closing 73.Overnight leader Alejandro Canizares missed from 18 feet on the last for an eagle to join the play-off, the Spaniard finishing nine under alongside compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez, who did make three on the 18th on his 600th European Tour appearance.The first time the play-off contenders played the 18th, Manassero and Khan made up and down birdie fours, while Warren sliced his drive into trees on the right and had to return to the tee.At the second attempt, Khan chose to lay up with Manassero’s second 15 feet from the green, but both men chipped to 12 feet in three and then missed their birdie putts.Down the 18th a third time and both men found greenside bunkers in two, then got up and down for matching birdies.The breakthrough came next time around as Khan was put under pressure by a fine drive from Manassero and fired his second shot into the water in front of the green.Manassero launched a superb approach to 25 feet and two putts gave him his fourth European Tour title.