MARANA, Ariz. -- Hunter Mahan opened defense of his World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship crown by knocking off Italian teen Matteo Manassero, 5 and 4, in the first round.

Mahan now faces South African Richard Sterne in the second round of the Player bracket.

Mahan, a sixth seed, handed Manassero, an 11th seed, his first first-round loss in three career appearances in this event. Mahan was 4 up through nine holes before play was halted on Wednesday. He opened Thursday with bogeys on his first two holes, with Manassero winning the 11th hole with a par.

But Manassero could never find his game. In the 14 holes he played, Manassero suffered eight bogeys while failing to record a birdie. Mahan, meanwhile, had just one birdie but was still happy with his play.

"I felt like I let some holes kind of slip away that I should have done better on," Mahan said. "But all in all, I feel good about how I played and how I'm swinging. I've just got to keep it up."

Mahan has now won nine of his last 10 matches in this event.

Greenwood/Getty Images

Matteo Manassero is 2 under through two rounds in his first PLAYERS Championship.

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- TPC Sawgrass isn’t for the easily intimidated, or a first-timer -- unless you’re Matteo Manassero.

The 18-year-old Italian became the youngest player ever to make the cut at THE PLAYERS Championship by more than two years, shooting a 70 on Friday to enter the weekend at 2 under.

Bobby Clampett held the previous mark when he made the cut in 1981 at 20 years, 334 days.

For Manassero, who just turned 18 last month, it’s just another record in a quickly growing list of accomplishments.

At age 16, Manassero became the youngest ever winner of the British Amateur Championship and three years later he was the low amateur at the British Open, where he tied for 13th. In 2010, he broke Bobby Cole's record, which stood since 1967, to become the youngest player ever to make the cut at the Masters, and then in October 2010 he won the Castelló Masters in Spain to become the youngest winner in European Tour history.

Manassero’s second European Tour win came at this year’s Malaysian Open, putting him first and second on the list of youngest European Tour winners.

Friday, Manassero flirted with the cut -- until he birdied two of his final three holes, including the par-5 ninth, where he rolled in a 17-footer for his fifth birdie of the day.

”It’s tough course,” Manassero said. “You have to put the ball in play. The rough is very severe. You don’t know how its going to come out and the greens are getting firmer and firmer.”

For a change, Manassero got to play with someone near his own age in 22-year-old Rickie Fowler. The third member of the pairing was 28-year-old Alvaro Quiros.

Fowler, who was playing in just his second PLAYERS Championship, was impressed by the Italian teen.

“He’s obviously got a pretty impressive game,” Fowler said. “He doesn’t it far, but he hits it far enough. He keeps it in front of him and stays out of trouble and that makes the game pretty easy.”

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The PGA TOUR’s new stat, strokes gained-putting, has been in use a couple of weeks now and it’s at least a little telling looking at the leaderboard.

The three players leading in that category coming into today’s second round? Matteo Manassero, Lucas Glover and Luke Donald.

One of those players -- Glover -- is just a shot off the lead after a 65. Another -- Donald -- isn’t far behaind after a 69 either.

Manassero? He was the exception to the rule, shooting an even-par 72.

Strokes Gained - Putting Leaders (Through Rd. 1)

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM Site Producer

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Matteo Manassero remembers the first time he met Seve Ballesteros. He was just four years old and was at the Italian Open.

Of course Manassero just turned 18 last month, so remembering his first encounter with the Spaniard isn’t all that difficult.

“Seve made a huge impact on everybody who’s from Italy,” said Manassero, who received a letter from Ballesteros congratulating him on his first win as a professional, which came as a 17-year-old in Spain. With the victory Manassero became the youngest winner in European Tour history.

“If you met him, you never forget him. He was a special person and has stayed in the memory of everybody.”

Manassero is of course already making plenty of memories of his own. He has two career wins and is in the field for his first PLAYERS Championship by virtue of his being ranked in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings -- he’s currently 33rd.

The Italian teen has made just three starts on the PGA TOUR this year with his best finish in stroke-play a tie for 20th at the Transitions Championship. He also reached the third round of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

As for how Manassero thinks he’ll fare in his first trip to TPC Sawgrass?

“I like the course, it’s fantastic, everybody knows Sawgrass, it’s a special place,” said Manassero, who added that he intends to split his time between nine or 10 events on the TOUR and 15 or so events on the European Tour.

“This course suits my game because you need to keep the ball in play and the greens are small and slopey. It’s a tough course but if I play a good game I’m going to be okay on this course because I don’t have to hit the ball 320 yards, because I cant.”

Matteo Manassero, still just 17, had a chance to become the youngest winner in PGA TOUR history this week in the Transitions Championship, but a water-filled double bogey on the par-3 13th pretty much ended his hopes.

Manassero played even-par golf the rest of the way, but his 5 under will give him an early tee time for Sunday.

MATTEO MANASSERO: Scorecard | Shot Tracker

Matteo Manassero has only played three tournaments in the United States. So the Italian teenager is just beginning to develop a fan base here.

The way Manassero is playing at the Transitions Championship, though, it won't be long before even the casual golf fan knows who he is. The 17-year-old pro fired his second straight 68 at the Copperhead Course on Friday to move with three strokes of the lead.

"Obviously I'm not far away," Manassero said. "My focus is try to hit better, maybe just more consistent golf shots and see if the putts will work like this all the week. So it's definitely going to be a good week anyway."

Manassero became the youngest winner on the European Tour last year when he captured the title at the Casetello Masters at the age of 17 years, 188 days. Manassero, who turns 18 on April 19, could earn that distinction on the PGA TOUR, as well, if he wins the Transitions Championship.

Here are the youngest winners on the PGA TOUR:

The dream may die hard for Italian teenager Matteo Manassero – he’s 4 down to Luke Donald through the first nine holes of their match. Manassero, though, isn’t the only one in trouble. Ben Crane is also 4 down in his match with Miguel Angel Jimenez.

Arguably the biggest upset brewing, however, is Bubba Watson, playing in this event for the first time in his career, leading two-time winner Geoff Ogilvy 4 up through the first 12 holes of their match.

Watson won the opening hole with a par and hasn’t looked back, leading the entire day. He added birdies on Nos. 2 and 3. Ogilvy eventually cut into the lead with a birdie of his own on No. 5, but Watson has won each of the first three holes on the back nine.

In other matches, Hunter Mahan is leading the lone No. 1 seed left, Martin Kaymer, 1 up through nine, while J.B. Holmes is all square with Jason Day through 11 holes.

Should Holmes and Watson both win, that would set up a bomber’s paradise match in the quarterfinals.

Elsewhere, Graeme McDowell has rallied to all square with Y.E. Yang, while Ryan Moore has battled back to all square with Nick Watney. Matt Kuchar leads Rickie Fowler 2 up through 14 holes.

MORE PRE-ROUND INTERVIEWS

Click here to listen to Martin Kaymer

Click here to listen to Matteo Manassero and Luke Donald

MARANA, Ariz. – Matteo Manassero has shown a maturity beyond his 17 years during the first two rounds of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Manassero

The Italian teenager, who came in seeded 15th, has already beaten world No. 8 Steve Stricker (2 up) and Charl Schwartzel (1 up). He’s playing Luke Donald, who is ranked ninth in the world, today in the third round.

Not to get ahead of ourselves – he certainly isn’t – but if Manassero should win the Accenture Match Play Championship, he would be the youngest champion in PGA TOUR history. He already holds that distinction on the European Tour after his win at the Castello Masters last October.

Manassero’s age on Sunday will be 17 years, 10 months and eight days. So he would be the TOUR’s youngest winner by more than two years.

Note: There are 10 other players who won PGA TOUR events before their 21st birthdays – including Tiger Woods at the 1996 Las Vegas Invitational and 1996 Walt Disney World Classic and Rory McIlroy at the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship.

MARANA, Ariz. -- What happens this weekend at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship could have a bearing on the next event in the global series.

The top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday, along with the top 10 in the European Tour's Race to Dubai, will get to play in the Cadillac Championship at TPC Blue Monster in two weeks.

Obviously, many of the players competing at Dove Mountain have already qualified. But two who made it through the first round of match play came in needing a big week -- 17-year-old Italian phenom Matteo Manassero, who is No. 59 in the OWGR, and Stewart Cink, who is No. 57.

Cink just lost his second-round match 4 and 2 to Y.E. Yang so he can't help himself anymore. Manassero, though, is currently 2 up on Charl Schwartzel so he’s still on track to potentially play his way in.