( CNN ) -- From the day he challenged the great Seve Ballesteros to a chipping contest at the age of four , Matteo Manassero has been a precocious golf talent . The Italian , who last month became the youngest player to make the halfway cut at the Masters in Augusta , has launched his professional career 17 days after his 17th birthday . Manassero , who was also the leading amateur at last year 's British Open and topped the non-paid players ' world rankings for 18 weeks , made a solid start on Thursday . He carded a two-under-par 70 in the opening round of his home Italian Open which left him three shots off the lead . He outshone his playing partner , European Ryder Cup captain and seven-time Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie , who could only manage 76 on a day marred by a two-hour rain delay . `` He was very impressive , to do that as a 17-year-old today , '' the 46-year-old Montgomerie told the European Tour Web site . `` He has a good future ahead of him and I wish him all the best . '' Manassero was also pleased with his efforts . `` It was a good round , I played steady for 18 holes . I really liked how I played today . I was a little nervous , like always in big tournaments , but fortunately I 'm getting used to it , '' he said . `` I do n't want to rewind any part of my game . I did n't putt that well but I did n't have many chances , so I like the way I played and hopefully it will stay like this . '' Manassero is used to the big stage . He made his British Open at Turnberry last year , teeing off with American golf legend Tom Watson and Spanish star Sergio Garcia . Watson ended up losing an emotional playoff to Stewart Cink , while Manassero tied for 13th -- and Garcia finished back in 38th . `` I was nervous , it was a big crowd clapping me , '' Manassero told CNN before the Italian Open , breaking into a smile . His successes at Turnberry and then Augusta , where he at at 16 years and 11 months and 22 days he was almost two years younger than Bobby Cole 's previous record , have given him a taste of things to come . `` I was on the first page of the biggest newspaper in Italy , '' Manassero said . `` I 'm still the same , but life is different . `` Pro-life is what I want . I 'm really looking forward to it . Fitness and practicing , normal training , I do n't want to do different stuff . I 've always done those and I 'll keep like this . '' Manassero , who is from the province of Verona in northern Italy , recalled the time when he met Spanish legend Ballesteros , a five-time major winner . `` I challenged him on the putting green of my home club . He was chipping and they introduced him to me and then we started started chipping a little , and I holed a chip . That was a great moment , '' he said . His caddy is Alberto Binaghi , a former European Tour player and now the Italian team coach . Binaghi has overseen a resurgence in Italian golf that has taken Edoardo and Francesco Molinari into the world 's top-50 , with the brothers winning the 2009 World Cup teams event . `` Ten years ago it was probably a rich sport and was difficult to play and it was expensive , but now the situation has changed and there are more young people wanting to play golf , '' Francesco Molinari , ranked 41st , told CNN of the sport in his home country . Four players shared the clubhouse lead at the Royal Park course in Turin , with Englishmen Graeme Storm and Robert Rock carding 67 along with Australia 's Marcus Fraser and Scotland 's Paul Lawrie . There were still 18 players yet to complete their opening rounds when the day 's play came to a halt .
Matteo ##tti launches professional golf career with 5 - under - par 64 at The Open . The 17-year - old was the youngest amateur to make the halfway cut at the Masters . He challenged golfing great Seve Ballesteros to a chipping duel at the age of four . Manassero is part of a golf resurgence in Italy with the same family .