Ryder Cup Hopeful Adrian Meronk Wins In Italy With Team Europe Captain Watching

Adrian Meronk not only captured his third DP World Tour victory on Sunday at the Italian Open, but he also made some major headway in his bid to make the 2023 Ryder Cup team on the very venue that will host the biennial event come September. And better yet, he did it in front of Team Europe captain Luke Donald. 

“I think that’s a solid statement, a solid bring into the wall,” Meronk said following his final-round 69. “But it’s not over yet. I know that. I’ll keep pushing, keep doing what I can to get on the team. But I think that should help a little bit.” 

As the top-ranked player in the field at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club, the young Polish star finished at 13 under for the tournament, one shot better than Romain Langasque. 

Meronk finished birdie-par-birdie, making a clutch par save on the 17th hole to maintain his momentum going into the par-5 18th. 

Meronk has now won the Italian, Irish and Australian Opens, making for a solid collection of prestigious titles for the 29-year-old. 

The victory also helped Meronk move up a stunning 11 spots to fifth in the Ryder Cup’s European points list. He sits behind Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Yannik Paul and Victor Perez in those standings. 

The top three players on the European points list and the top three players on the world points list will automatically qualify for the squad. Donald, who replaced Henrik Stenson as Team Europe captain after the Swede defected to LIV Golf, will then select six captain’s picks to round out the roster. 

“Suberb win for @AdrianMeronk. Some solid golf played all week and came up with the right shots when he needed them most, starting to make winning a habit. Well done Adrian,” Donald wrote on Twitter.

After shooting back-to-back 74s in his opening rounds, Donald stuck around Marco Simone to watch the remainder of the Open. 

With his Ryder Cup aspirations in mind, Meronk captured his third DP World Tour victory at the perfect venue in front of the perfect audience.

Meronk still has a ways to go before the team is settled in early September, but the high-stakes victory will absolutely set him on the right track.  

“I’m super excited. It’s one of my biggest goals this year,” Meronk said.