• BMW PGA Championship, Round Four

Manassero crowned Wentworth champion

ESPN staff
May 26, 2013
Matteo Manassero held his nerve in the play-off © Getty Images
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BMW PGA Championship leaderboard

Matteo Manassero won the BMW PGA Championship after a fourth play-off hole at Wentworth on Sunday.

The Italian edged out former champion Simon Khan and Mark Warren in the play-off, as Manassero became the youngest winner of the event at 20 years of age as he collected his fourth European Tour victory.

"It's been an amazing week, I've always felt something special about this place and this tournament," Manassero said. "I'm the happiest man in the world right now."

All three players had ended the final round of the tournament on ten-under, and it was England's Khan who had produced a fine round of 66 to get himself into contention for the victory.

Spaniard Alejandro Canizares began the day a shot ahead at the top of the leaderboard, but Lee Westwood was determined to get his hands on the trophy and the Englishman took a two-shot lead with a run of three birdies from the second hole.

When Westwood was ten-under at the turn, all hopes of a win quickly disappeared as bogeys on the 11th and 14th saw him tumble in the standings, and the double bogey on the 12th all but ruled out his chances of winning the event for the first time.

Manassero carded a brilliant 32 on the front nine by landing four birdies. Despite a bogey on the 11th, the Italian sealed another birdie on the 13th and finished off his round with pars.

With a play-off required to decide the victor, Warren exited at the first extra hole, leaving a tussle between Manassero and former champion Khan.

Khan though could not collect another title as he found the water when he played with a three-wood and not a driver like Manassero off the 18th tee on the fourth extra hole, and the latter was left with the task of two putts to seal a historic triumph.

After putting himself into the lead, Westwood was left disappointed with his performance on the final day.

"I'm struggling with my swing a little bit and it just gets found out when the pressure is on," Westwood, twice a runner-up, said. "The main problem is I haven't got a safe shot. It's something I'm keeping working on. The short game was good, but I struggled a little bit on the greens."

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