3. Matteo Manassero (Italy, Age 18)
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One of the hottest young golfers in Europe at the moment is the 18-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero who has already set several records in his young career.
As a 16-year-old amateur, Manassero finished tied for 13th in the 2009 Open Championship. The following year, while still only 16, he then became the youngest player ever to make the cut at the Masters.
He turned professional shortly after and has since gone on to claim two wins on the European Tour—the 2010 Castello Masters Costa Azahar and the 2011 Maybank Malaysian Open.
Both of these wins surpassed Danny Lee’s record for the youngest European Tour winner.
Manassero has jumped into the top 50 golfers in the world, currently holding 44th place, and with the form he has shown at just 18 years old, it looks like it won’t be long before he threatens the top 10.