Matteo Manassero Quotations

The earliest golfing memories that I have are of the Italian Open when I was about six years of age. Watching that event is how I really got started in the game.

Playing with Tom Watson, I grew up a little bit. Even if he didn't say something to you, even if he didn't give you advice, you have grown up just watching him. It was great.

I am very proud of what I have done since I turned professional. It's been great to become the first teenager to win three times, to have played in some Majors and the Masters, and to have twice broken into the world's top 50 and stayed there for a bit of time.

Maybe it will be difficult, but I want to finish school. My parents want me to finish school, and I am pretty sure I will. I will not go to university; I will turn professional when I finish school.

I started when I was three, and on some courses they wouldn't let me play because they said I was too little. They wouldn't accept that a child could play. So my parents had to argue at times with some people at golf courses so I could.

One guy that really inspired me was Michael Jordan. I wouldn't say that he inspired me as a sportsman, but I love going back and watching videos of him, especially how he conducts himself in interviews. He always seemed to be very careful about the words that he used and thought about everything differently to anybody else.

I was OK in school, but I always missed a lot because I was playing so much. But if I'd stuck at it, I imagine that I'd be doing something financial or economical. Finance always attracted me, even though maths was always a bit of a love-hate relationship. I would have tried playing football, but I don't think I'd have made it.

I get angry if I do things wrong, but that's what keeps me going. I want to do my best.

I am very pleased with my synthetic golf green from Southwest Greens. It reacts like a championship golf green, so I can practice my short game whenever I'm at home. I couldn't believe that a synthetic green could be this perfect.