Born near Verona, he started playing golf aged three with a set of plastic clubs. At 16 became the youngest winner of the Amateur Championship in 2009 before taking the silver medal for low amateur in the 2009 Open Championship.

He broke another record in April 2010 when he became the youngest player to make the cut at the Masters Tournament, where he finished in a tie for 36th place – the best performance by a European amateur for 73 years.

He turned professional shortly after the Masters and was the second youngest full DP World Tour Member in history after his idol, the legendary Seve Ballesteros.

Manassero then became the youngest winner in DP World Tour history with victory in the 2010 Castello Masters at 17 years and 188 days. Won again before his 18th birthday, aged 17 years and 363 days, at the Maybank Malaysian Open to occupy first and second place on the youngest winners’ list.

Became the first teenager to win three times on the DP World Tour with victory at the 2012 Barclays Singapore Open. The following year he claimed the biggest title of his career to date at the BMW PGA Championship, defeating past champion Simon Khan and Marc Warren in a four-hole play-off at Wentworth.

Struggled for form after his victory at Wentworth before losing playing rights in 2018. Stepped away from the game for a few months before returning to action on the Alps Tour, on which he won his first professional title for more than seven years.

Played on the European Challenge Tour in 2021, but missed out on graduation to the DP World Tour two seasons running. Won twice in 2023, the first at the Copenhagen Challenge, the same week as the ten-year anniversary of his BMW PGA Championship victory, and then triumphed on home soil at the Italian Challenge Open. Graduated from the Challenge Tour after finishing ninth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, securing playing rights on the DP World Tour for the first time in six years.

Claimed a long-awaited fourth DP World Tour title at the Jonsson Workwear Open, winning by three strokes in South Africa.