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Italian schoolboy Matteo Manassero completed one of the most remarkable debuts in Masters history on Sunday, underlining his potential as a star of the future.
Eight days shy of his 17th birthday and the youngest player to have competed at Augusta National, the talented amateur finished a with an even-par 72 for a four-over total of 292.
To put the icing on the cake he finished with a birdie at the demanding par-four 18th after hitting his approach to the back of the green and watching it feed back to five feet.
His exploits over the four days of competition evoked memories of Sergio Garcia’s Masters debut, when he played in all four rounds in 1999, finishing in a tie for 38th place.
“Today I think I played really good. Can’t play much better than this,” he said.
“I maybe left on the course on some occasions birdie chances. I made two bogeys on the last, but I finished with a good birdie; that’s a good memory.”
Manassero, who bears a striking resemblance to the young Seve Ballesteros, his boyhood idol, is getting used to setting age records.
He was the youngest-ever winner of the British Amateur Open last year and that stamped his ticket for a first look at Augusta.
He was the first amateur since 2005 to play in the final two rounds at the weekend, and was already assured of winning the Silver Cup as top amateur this year as he was the only one to make the cut.
He won the equivalent award – the Silver Medal – rewarding the top amateur at the Turnberry British Open.
It’s all enough to go to a young man’s head, but Manaserro insists he will be keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground.
“I always want to stay level since that’s the education that my parents gave me,” he said.
“I dream for something like the Masters, but I try always to stay as level as I can. I don’t know in which way, but I’ve done it.”
A fervent fan of Italian football giants AC Milan, Manassero said that he played the team sport from an early age as well as golf which his parents introduced him to at the age of three.
Eventually he had to make a choice and he chose golf.
“I’m better at golf, so I kept golf,” he said.
It will be a hectic few weeks for Manaserro because when he leaves Augusta he heads home and will turn pro at next month’s Italian Open.
He will try to secure his place on the European PGA Tour through seven invitations he has been offered and if that fails he will turn to the secondary Challenge Tour and the qualifying school at the end of the year.
His experiences over the last week, he feels, will stand him in good stead.
“Definitely will help me in all areas, to play with these guys, be comfortable with this crowd, and to understand that I can compete with these guys. It’s very important,” he said.