Finally Matteo Manassero is back among the greats of golf. The Veronese is today at the starting tees of the second major of the season, the US Open, edition 116, underway at the Oakmont CC, in Pennsylvania, until Sunday. It is one of the most important races of the year, common to all circuits, where you can watch a parade of stars, among which world number one Jason Day, number two Jordan Spieth, number three Rory McIlroy .
There are 156 participants (coming from 23 countries), almost half, including 11 amateurs, come from the various qualifying races that have taken place in recent weeks around the world. Matthew is one of them. A 24-year-old boy who has already won four tournaments on the European tour, who at 16 played his first Masters, who played his last US Open in 2013, a somewhat tarnished talent, ready to shine again. On the other hand golf requires dedication, willpower and suffering and there are no champions immune from humiliation, as Tiger Woods teaches.
Manassero was in the top 50 players in the world, today he is number 786, light years away from the top. Let's hope he has hit rock bottom and that, from Oakmont, he will start his ascent towards the Olympus of the Gods, where, before Ryder 2022, it would be nice to see a tricolor flag wave again. In the first two days, the blue will play with the American Daniel Berger, another extraordinary boy and in great shape, fresh from his victory in the FedEx St. Jude Classic last week.
The field includes 59 of the top 60 players in the world; title defender Jordan Spieth, who is not in a state of grace like last year, but who always has many arrows in his bow. The strongest player of the moment is Jason Day and of course the highest rated at the box office: he has already won three tournaments in 2016 such as the WGC Match Play, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players, and he can't wait to add a major to the his collection. Then there's Rory, a mad horse, who, if he shows the ardor shown in Ireland, will be unrivalled.
However, the list of candidates for the title is still long and includes Masters champion Danny Willett and the legendary Phil Mickelson, who lacks only this trophy to complete the Grand Slam. Contributing to the show will be Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and neo pro Bryson DeChambeau. Past champions include Ernie Els and Angel Cabrera, both winners of the US Open on this field, respectively in 1994 and 2007. It's important to get into the right gear immediately, because only the top 60 qualified and tied players will play over the weekend.
The track is a par 70, 6500 meters long, very demanding and prepared to put competitors in difficulty. The prize pool is 10 million dollars; $1,8 million is for the first place finisher. The tournament is broadcast live on Sky Sport 2 HD with connections starting at 17pm today.
