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Manassero to make history at Match Play

Matteo Manassero became the youngest player to make the cut at the U.S. Masters as a 16-year-old in 2010.
Matteo Manassero became the youngest player to make the cut at the U.S. Masters as a 16-year-old in 2010.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Matteo Manassero will become youngest golfer to play at a World Golf Championship event
  • The 17-year-old Italian will beat the 2010 record of Japan's Ryo Ishikawa
  • Manassero plays the oldest man in the field, 44-year-old American Steve Stricker
  • The elite 64-man field is seeking to claim the $1.4 million for the winner of Sunday's final

(CNN) -- While most eyes will be on the likes of Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer at the World Match Play this week, Italian teenager Matteo Manassero will be making his own slice of history in Tucson.

At the tender age of 17 years and 310 days, he will become the youngest player to line up at a World Golf Championship event as he surpasses Japan's Ryo Ishikawa, who was 18 and 153 days old when he debuted in last year's tournament.

Manassero, the European Tour's 2010 rookie of the year, faces a tough task on Wednesday against U.S. Ryder Cup veteran Steve Stricker, at 44 the second-oldest player in the elite 64-man field.

But having finished tied for 36th in his only other U.S. appearance at the Masters last April, he is expected to hold his own against nine-time PGA Tour winner Stricker, the event's 2001 champion.

It's hard to believe he's in this tournament as a 17-year-old. It's pretty incredible
--Rory McIlroy on Manassero
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Manassero has already won his first senior title, at the 2010 Castello Masters, and his rise has impressed fellow young star Rory McIlroy -- who reached the Match Play quarterfinals as a 19-year-old in 2009.

"Yeah, I played Matteo this morning and it's hard to believe he's in this tournament as a 17-year-old. It's pretty incredible, really," the Northern Irishman told the PGA Tour website.

"And there's so many young guys coming through, all guys that are 21 and younger. It's great for the game of golf, it makes it a little more exciting."

McIlroy is up against American Jonathan Byrd in the 16-man Gary Player bracket, which also sees Germany's world No. 2 Kaymer take on 19-year-old South Korean Noh Seung-yul, the 2010 Asian Tour money leader.

Top-ranked Englishman Westwood plays Sweden's 2007 winner Henrik Stenson, like Manassero-Stricker in the Bobby Jones group along with Ishikawa's match against South African Charl Schwartzel.

World No. 4 Phil Mickelson faces Australian Brendan Jones in the Ben Hogan bracket, where defending champion Ian Poulter takes on American Stewart Cink.

Woods is a three-time World Match Play champion but has not won the tournament since it moved to Dove Mountain's Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in 2009.

The American, who has dropped to third in the rankings after a winless past year, will play Denmark's Thomas Bjorn in the Sam Snead group, which also features two-time runner-up Paul Casey.

The Englishman, beaten in last year's final by compatriot Poulter, is drawn with Australian left-hander Richard Green.

Casey's conqueror in 2009, Australia's two-time winner Geoff Ogilvy, faces three-time major champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland in the same quarter of the field.

Each elimination match is played over 18 holes, with the winners progressing until Sunday's final -- which is worth $1.4 million to the champion, out of a total prize pool of $8.5 million.