Could Matteo Manassero win the Match Play Championship?

Other than the fact that most of the top Americans are out of the Match Play Championship entering today’s quarterfinals, the story of the tournament so far has to be 17-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero, who is the youngest player ever to compete in this tournament.

After beating Steve Stricker in the first round, he upset Charl Schwartzel in Round 2. Manassero could become the youngest-ever winner of a PGA Tour event. He already was the youngest to win the British Amateur, the youngest to be low amateur at the British Open and the Masters, the youngest to win on the European Tour.

He was in control for much of his match against Schwartzel until nearly giving it away. His tee shot on the 16th bounced off the corporate tents and into a cactus, and the Italian felt as though he might have moved the ball while trying to remove a loose branch. So he conceded the hole to Schwartzel, and put it behind him quickly. His 6-iron to within 4 feet of the cup on the 17th set up birdie, and Manassero closed it out with a par on the 18th.

But now he gets his toughest matchup so far, against Luke Donald, who plays a similar fairways-and-greens game and has a stellar short game. Donald will end the youngster’s run.

Only one top seed remains in the quarterfinals: Martin Kaymer. Both Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson lost on Thursday, with Lefty getting destroyed by Rickie Fowler. Consider Kaymer the favorite, although England’s Graeme McDowell offers the best futures betting value.

Here are the quarterfinal matchups, Bodog odds and pairings (all times Eastern):

12:35 p.m.: No. 8 Rickie Fowler (-140) vs. No. 4 Matt Kuchar (+110)
12:47 p.m.: No. 2 Graeme McDowell (-200) vs. No. 11 Y.E. Yang (+150)
12:59 p.m.: No. 8 Geoff Ogilvy (-130) vs. No. 5 Bubba Watson (EVEN)
1:11 p.m.: No. 10 Jason Day (-120) vs. No. 6 J.B. Holmes (-110)
1:23 p.m.: No. 8 Nick Watney (-160) vs. No. 12 Ryan Moore (+120)
1:35 p.m.: No. 15 Matteo Manassero (+145) vs. No. 3 Luke Donald (-185)
1:47 p.m.: No. 1 Martin Kaymer (-150) vs. No. 5 Hunter Mahan (+120)
1:59 p.m.: No. 10 Ben Crane (-140) vs. No. 6 Miguel Angel Jimenez (+110)

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