The Final - Story of the Morning

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Championship - 20 Jun, 2009

Live Text: Matteo Manassero vs. Sam Hutsby

8.05am: An overcast morning greets the players as they spend time on the putting green before teeing-off in the final of the 2009 Amateur Championship.

8.17am: The championship trophy is on the 1st tee as the 114th Amateur Championship is just over 10 minutes from getting underway.

8.30am: The match gets underway with a place in both The Open Championship and the Masters at stake.  Manassero his a tremendous drive down the left hand side of the fairway with a touch of fade.  Hutsby matches the fade but starts it down the right hand side and kicks into the trees.

8.37am: Hutsby chips out onto the fairway.  Manassero hits a fine approach into about 15'.

8.42am: Hutsby is just through the green with his approach.  Manassero holes out confidently for a three to go -UP

Manassero 1-UP after 1 Hole

8.45am:  Manassero hits a hybrid club down the middle of the fairway.  Hutsby hits driver down the right hand side.

8.47am:  Manassero hits a 7-iron from around 180 yards to the back of the green.  Hutsby plays a solid PW to 25' pin high on the right hand side.

8.52am:  Manassero's putt slides by the left side of the hole.  Hutsby sends a well struck putt on its way but it also misses just on the left.  Hole halved in four.

Manassero 1-UP after 2 Holes

8.55am:  Both players hit solid drives on the third but Manassero's holds up in the semi rough.

8.58am: Manassero hits 3-wood thirty yards short of the green.  Hutsby hits a 2-iron to 30' pin high on the right of the green.  

9.00am: Manassero hits a solid pitch right on the flag and it finishes 10' past the hole.

9.02am: Hutsby has a putt to half the match.  it misses narrowly on the left of the cup and is conceded.

9.03am: Manassero sends his 10' putt on its way but it moves more than he expects and misses just on the right. 

Hutsby wins the hole

Match All-square after 3 Holes

9.05am: Hutsby hits a towering drive on this short par-4.  He's pin high on the right edge of the green.  Manassero drive is left of his target line and into the long rough. 

9.10am: Manassero has a difficult shot to even keep this on the green.  He will have to come out of the heavy rough, over a deep greenside bunker and try to land it short of the flag.

9.11am: The young Italian has played that well.  He's it is very high and it lands 5' short of the pin.  The course is hard and running though and he runs 30' past the pin.

9.13am: Hutsby chips to around 6' to give himself a good chance of going ahead.

9.15am: Manassero lips out from 30' but that putt was travelling and catching the hole took some pace off it.  He has about 3' left and it's conceeded.

9.17am: Hutsby's putt starts on line but drifts just before the hole and rolls on 3'.  Manassero conceeds it though and they move on the the 5th.

Hole halved in 4.  Match remains All-square after 4 Holes.

9.20am: Hutsby hits a finessed knock-down 7-iron pin high right but just off the green.  Manassero hits the same club but he's pulled it left and it's in a very deep green side bunker on the left of the green.

9.22am: Manassero has a very difficult shot to play coming out of a deep bunker with the green running away from him.  He plays it brilliantly but still leaves himself a 10' putt.

9.24am: England's number 1 hits a controlled chip to inches and has his 3 conceeded.  Manassero walks round his 10 footer and tries to establish the line.  He settles, hits a solid putt but it's too firm and it misses on the high side.

Hutsby wins the hole with a 3.  Hutsby goes 1-Up after 5 Holes.

9.26am: Both players hit driver on this 434 yard par-4.  Hutsby is down the right, Manassero down the left.  The winds picked up now and with both players having missed the fairway they'll struggle to make the green.

9.28am: Manassero plays first and hit a good shot and it runs to the back left of the green.  Hutsby hits his approach short right.  The referee will have to pace these out as there is nothing to choose between them.

9.30am: Hutsby is an inch or two further away so he chips and it's very nicely played running out to about 3'.  Manassero putts and it threatens the hole but slides by on the left to 4'.  Both players hole out well. 

Hole is halved in 4.  Hutsby remains 1-Up after 6 Holes.

9.33am: Hutsby hits a 2-iron down the middle with a touch of fade.  Manassero follows hit choosing his utility club.  Both players in perfect position with Hutsby 15 yards ahead of the 16-year-old Italian.

9.36am: Both players are relaxed and into the match now, they're walking down the fairway chatting away.  Manassero has taken hit sweater off which bodes well, as some of the early morning damp is subsiding. There are definitely a few rays poking through the clouds now.

9.40am: Manassero has 150 yards to the hole and has hit a solid if unspectacular shot to the front right of the green.  Hutsby from 15 yards closer hits a 9-iron but it wasn't his purest contact of the day and he is just short on the right hand side.

9.43am: Manassero to putt first.  He has a long put with a big break of 2 1/2' feet left of the hole.  He's sent it on it's way but it misses on the high side and runs out to about 3 feet.  Hutsby's putt is just shorter than the Italian at about 30'.  He sends it on it's way but it also misses no the high side and rolls out to 4'.

9.47am: Both players hole out with supreme confidence. 

Hole is halved in 4.  Hutsby remains 1-Up after 7 Holes

9.50am: This a relatively short par-5 at 493 yards and Hutsby has elected to go with a 3-wood.  He's hit a hit arching ball down the middle of the fairway.  Manassero pulls driver and lauches a big drive following Hutsby and finishing just 30 yards ahead and just out of fairway. 

9.55am: Both players miss the green, Manassero left, Hutsby right.  Manassero chips to 6', Hutsby gets his chip just inside the Italian.

9.59am: Manassero putts first and lips out, while Hutsby with a chance to win the hole can only slide by the right edge.

Hole is halved in 5.  Hutsby remains 1-Up after 8 Holes.

10.02am: Hutsby hits 3-wood followed by Manassero's driver but the Italian's drive comes up a few yards short of the 20-year-old Englishman.

10.06am: Manassero hits a towering hybrid to 4'.  it's a stunning shot and puts the pressure on Hutsby.  He hits a 2-iron that comes up 10 yards short of the putting surface.

10.08am: Hutsby chips up to 4'.  Manassero has been eyeing up his own 4 footer with some intent.  He's lined it up and settles over the ball, a quick look at the hole, the putter head is back and send the ball right into the heart of the hole.

Manassero wins the hole with a 4.  Match is all square after 9 Holes.

10.12am:  Both players have found the green at 10 with what 4 irons.  Neither has managed to get closer than 35'.  

10.16am:  Hutsby rolls his putt to 2' and has it conceded.  Manassero now has a chance to go 1-Up but it is a very difficult putt and he might be happy with a two putt.  He rolls it to 2' never really threatening the hole. 

Hole halved in 3. Match is all-square after 10 Holes.

10:20am:  Manassero has hit a solid drive right down the middle.  Hutsby is a little right and has found the long grass.  He wil have about 150 yards to the pin.

10:22am:  Hutsby pulls a 9-iron and put all he has into the shot.  He's done well to get it down near the green but it's short left and his third will be blind.  Manassero walks up to his ball which is 80 yards short of the green.  He wastes little time and hits a wedge to about 17' feet.  He's jumping as he approaches the green trying to see how close it is.

10.27am:  Hutsby will have to hit a flop shot to try and stop this anywhere near the pin.  He has played it beautifully, the ball spends an age in the air and lands just short of the pin running out to about 8'.

10.29am:  Manassero runs his birdie putt towards the hole but it misses left and finishes 2 1/2 feet from the hole.  Hutsby hasn't conceded and looks to make his 8' putt for a likely half.  He misses on the low side.  Manassero wastes no time and holes to move ahead.

Manassero wins the hole with 4.  Manassero is 1-Up after 11 Holes.

10.33am:  Manassero tees off and hits driver to just 2 yards short of the fairway bunker.  Hutsby has hit a fantastic drive right down the middle. 

10.38am: Manassero hits a 7 iron from 175 yards.  He's pulled this one left though and it runs down very close to the greenside bunker.  Hutsby hits a 9-iron into 30' pin high on the right.

10.41am: Manassero has short sided himself and has played a good shot but he's 13' away and struggling for his 4.  Hutsby has rolled an exellent putt to inches which is conceded.

10.43am: Manassero lines up his putt.  It's on it's way, but it's right from the start and Manassero is after it looking disgusted.

Hutsby wins the hole with a 4.  Match is All-Square after 12 holes.

10.46am: Both players hit iron off the tee with Manassero 10 yards back of Hutsby.

10.48am: Manassero hits a 7-iron from 180 yards but gets a very soft bounce and finishes short of the putting surface.  Hutsby hits an 8-iron down wind and it runs up nicely to 25'.

10.52am: Manassero putts up to around 7'.  He'll have a tricky putt to make par.  Hutsby is surveying his putt knowing he can move ahead again if he makes this.  He sends the ball towards the cup but it drifts just left and leaves him a 3 footer that hasn't been conceded.

10:54am: Manssero holes his putt and the crowd, which has grown to around 300, breaking into rapturous applause.  Hutsby holes confidently to halve the hole.

Hole halved in 4.  Match remains All-square after 13 Holes. 

11:01am: Hutsby takes a 3-wood on 14 and finds the middle of the fairway about 289 yards down there.  Manassero also hits a 3-wood and hits it 250 also in the middle of the fairway. 

11.04am: Manassero hits 7 iron and it lands on an upslope killing the speed and it comes to rest on the crest of the bunker.  He's quite lucky not to have rolled back into it.  Hutsby hits a 9-iron to 25' feet.

11.07am: Manassero hits a beautiful chip which bounces twice and then grabs running out to 4'.  Hutsby putts and lags up to 2 feet.  Manassero holes out confidently, concedes Hutsby's putt and we're off to 15.

Hole halved in 4.  Match remains All-square.

11.08am: Both players hit driver on the 15th.  Hutsby again finds the middle of the fairway some 30 yards ahead of Manassero.  The Italian's drive runs out in the left hand semi-rough, leaving him a blind shot of around 180 yards. 

11.11am: Manassero hits 5-Iron to the front of the green leaving him around 50' to a back pin.  Hutsby hitting 6-iron back into the wind goes slightly right and kicks hard right leaving him with a tricky chip.

11.14am: Hutsby is resting up against the first cut of rough and is taking some time to study his shot.  Manassero is on the green but outside his opponent so will play first.  Manassero hits a very solid put up the two tiers of the green to six inches.  Hutsby plays a delicate chip off the bank and it runs to 3 feet.  He holes from there. 

Hole halved in 4.  Match remains All-square.

11.18am:  The quality of golf is outstanding and the crowd is growing all the time here.  Around 350 people are now following the match.

11.21am:  Hutsby hit's a knockdown 7-iron into the front left trap. That shot has been working well for him but he didn't get the distance control quite right on that occasion.  Manassero has found the middle of the green. 

11.24am: Hutsby is lying well in the bunker and hits a delicate shot to 5'.  Manassero has run his putt up to inches and it's been conceded.  Hutsby has a testing putt for the half.  It's on it's way and he's missed. 

Manassero wins the hole with a 3.  Manassero is 1-Up.

11:26am:  Manassero hits a towering drive but it's left and in fairly heavy rough 10 yards left of the fairway.  Hutsby is 30 yards further on and although he's in the rough he's in much better shape.  

11:28am:  Manassero has a terrible lie.  He's done his best to advance it but it's gone left and it only halfway to the green.  He will struggle to get up and down from there. 

11.29am: Hutsby has hid a good shot but it runs through the green and just off back left.  He'll have moderately difficult chip from there.

11.31am:  Manassero has hit a miraculous shot from 60 yards short left and a tricky lie to about 15'.  The crowd loved that as the applause comes from all sides of the green. 

11.35am:  Hutsby has a delicate chip to play.  He's struck it crisply but it's a little under hit and finishes 12' short.  Manassero is stalking this putt.  It would be an incredible up and down.

11.38am:  Manassero holes for an incredible 4.  The pressure is on Hutsby now.  The Englishman is over the ball.  It's on its way but he's missed it on the low side.  Manassero is 2-Up the first time either player has established that margin.

Manassero wins with 4.  Manassero is 2-up after 17 Holes.

11.41am:  Both players take driver off the tee with Hutsby with Manassero finding the middle of the fairway and Hustby 15 yards ahead of him but in the right semi. Manassero knocks a wedge to three feet and Hutsby responds with a 65-yard pitch to 10 feet. Hustsby misses the putt, however and the crowd groans. And Manassreo makes no mistake, rolling it in for a birdie-three and a three hole lead.

Manassero wins with a 3. Manassero is 3-up after 18 Holes.