Tag: Adrian Meronk

Aussies fall short Sunday of men’s, women’s titles at home ISPS Handa Australian Open

The final round wasn’t kind to the Aussies playing in their national open.

The unique ISPS Handa Australian Open – held over two courses with men’s, women’s and all-abilities divisions playing concurrently – featured a trio of great finishes on Sunday, but the final round wasn’t kind to the natives in their national open.

On the men’s side, 54-hole leader Adam Scott struggled to a 2-over 72 thanks to a crucial double-bogey on the par-4 17th. After making eagle at the par-5 18th the previous two rounds at Victoria Golf Club, the 2013 Masters champion instead signed for a par on Sunday to seal his runner-up fate at 9 under. Adrian Meronk, on the other hand, eagled the final hole to sign for a 4-under 66 to extend his winning margin to five shots at 14 under.

Two more Aussies finished in the top five as Aussie Min Woo Lee placed third at 8 under, with Haydn Barron T-4 at 7 under alongside Alejandro Canizares.

“I’m super excited and to finish like that on the 18th hole is just unreal,” said Meronk.

On the women’s side, three Aussies finished Nos. 3-5 while Ashleigh Buhai claimed a one-shot win over Jiyai Shin at 12 under after Shin missed a putt to force a playoff on the final hole. Hannah Green led after 54 holes, but similar to Scott, a 2-over 72 on Sunday saw her fall off the pace to finish two shots back in third at 10 over. Grace Kim was 2 under through 15 holes in the final round but a costly double-bogey on the par-5 18th brought her back to even on the day and fourth at 9 under for the tournament. Minjee Lee shot a 1-under 71 to finish fifth at 8 under.

Kipp Popert won the all-abilities division with ease thanks to the lone round under par on Sunday, a 3-under 69. Currently No. 1 on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability, Popert finished the three-round event at 2 under, seven shots clear of runner-up Kurtis Barkley.

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Cameron Smith misses cut after being ‘a few too many beers deep’; Adam Scott leads ISPS Handa Australian Open

Cameron Smith was out late on Friday when he found out he had an early tee time on Saturday.

Adam Scott knows how to close a performance with a showstopper.

For the second straight day at the 2022 ISPS Handa Australian Open, Scott eagled the final hole, which was enough to leapfrog Adrian Meronk for the 54-hole lead of the DP World Tour event in Melbourne, Australia.

Scott played solid and smooth en route to a 67 on Saturday, a day after he scorched his way into the lead with a 63.

According to stats guru Justin Ray, Scott is 9-for-15 in converting over the last 15 years when he has a stake in the lead after 54 holes.

Meronk, who birdied six of his first eight holes, had the best third-round score, posting a 63 to briefly take the lead before Scott’s final-hole heroics.

Meanwhile, Cameron Smith — who won the Australian PGA Championship for a third time last week — admitted after shooting a third-round 69 that he didn’t realize he would be playing on Saturday and spent some of Friday night in a pub.

The event cut to 60 players after Friday’s round — and again to 30 after the third round of play — and he was out late on Friday when he found out he had an early tee time on Saturday,

“I was pretty quick to the pub (after Friday’s round) and, yeah, was probably a few too many beers deep and then I realized we had an early tee time, so I got back on the waters and was a good boy the rest of the night,” Smith said.

He made the turn at 1-over 36, but then came home in 33, good enough for his best round of the week. It wasn’t good enough to make the final cut, however.

“I thought I had it in me today and hit lots of good golf shots, and just couldn’t really capitalize. Just not my week,” Smith said.

On the women’s side, Jiyai Shin used a 67 to grab the lead after three rounds, with Ashleigh Buhai one stroke back and Hannah Green two off the pace.

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Adrian Meronk wins Horizon Irish Open, achieves something no other Polish golfer has done before

Meronk became the first golfer from Poland to earn status on the DP World Tour.

Adrian Meronk kissed the trophy and admired the names that have won the Horizon Irish Open before him.

Meronk, clinging to a one-stroke overnight lead, played the final four holes in 4 under en route to shooting 66 at Mount Juliet Estate in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland, and win his first title on the DP World Tour.

“It’s a dream come true,” he said. “This is what we practice for everyday and I’m so happy.”

Meronk trailed by one stroke with four holes to go but a late birdie barrage and an eagle lifted him to a 72-hole total of 20-under 268 and a three-stroke victory over Ryan Fox of New Zealand.

Meronk, a 29-year-old former top-ranked junior, became the first from Poland to earn status on the DP World Tour and had two previous runner-up finishes. Now he’s the first Polish golfer to notch a victory on the circuit.

Fox, who made 22 birdies for the week, closed with 64 to grab the clubhouse lead at 17-under 271. But Meronk, who played college golf at East Tennessee State, tied for the lead with a 20-foot birdie putt at 15, clenched his right fist as he took the lead with a 15-foot birdie at 16, and stretched the lead to three with a 25-foot eagle putt from the fringe at 17.

“Just a relief,” said the 6-foot-6 big man of his third straight one putt that propelled him to the winner’s circle to join the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Rory McIlroy with his name on the champion’s trophy.

Thriston Lawrence was alone in third place, a stroke behind Fox. Scotland’s David Law, American John Catlin and Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti all earned spots in The 150th Open—via the Open Qualifying Series—for all finishing tied for fourth at 15 under.

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Euro Tour: Adrian Meronk leads after three rounds, home product Jayden Schaper lurking

With a one-shot lead, Meronk could be Poland’s first Euro Tour winner. But South Africa’s own Jayden Schaper could rain on his parade.

Despite a third-round 71, his worst score of the tournament so far, Adrian Meronk sits atop the leaderboard at 14-under par after three rounds at the Alfred Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa. Jayden Schaper finds himself one back in second place.

Meronk is the first Polish player to ever lead a European Tour event and is poised to capture his nation’s first title on the circuit. The 27-year-old started fast with rounds of 65 (7 under) and 66 (6 under) in the first two days, but managed just three birdies against two bogeys on Saturday morning at Leopard Creek Country Club. His three-shot lead on the field has dwindled to one.

Nonetheless, Meronk is in good spirits and excited for what tomorrow could bring.

“I actually enjoyed it very much, even at the beginning,” he said, referring to the front nine where he committed both bogeys. “It was a nice experience and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”

South Africa’s own Schaper is only 19 years of age, but he’s playing like a seasoned veteran with 69, 67 and 67 on his scorecard so far. After a relatively uneventful first 14 holes on Saturday, Schaper caught fire with an eagle at the par-5 15th. Two of his three birdies came on the final two holes, positioning the local youngster squarely in Meronk’s rearview as he seeks the first Euro Tour win of his career.

“Throughout the tournament I’ve been playing the last four holes pretty solid,” said Schaper. “From the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th, I really enjoy them. So I know that if I get through these holes and make a nice score here I can definitely get myself closer to the top.”

Third place currently belongs to another South African. Christiaan Bezuidenhout fired five birdies against a lone bogey to add a second consecutive 68 to his card. He sits three back in solo third with an opportunity to make a strong Sunday push. If the 26-year-old can overtake Meronk and Schaper, it would be his second Euro Tour win.

Also in the hunt are Spaniard Adri Arnaus and American Sean Crocker, who are currently T-4 at 10 under. Arnaus carded 69 on Saturday, and Crocker bettered him with a 68.

Meanwhile, Denmark’s Joachim B. Hansen was T-2 after the second round with an impressive 64 but went off the rails during Saturday’s action. A disastrous quadruple bogey on the par-4 11th led to a third-round 73, dropping him into a tie for sixth with Scotsman Calum Hill. At 9-under par for the tournament, Hansen is still in range to make some final-round noise, but the 30-year old has work to do.

The Euro Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Championship concludes Sunday.

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Adrian Meronk opens 3-shot lead at Dunhill Championship, first player from Poland to lead Euro Tour event

Meronk followed Thursday’s 65 with a solid 66 on Friday, using six birdies and an eagle to take a three-stroke lead.

Even with a bogey on the final hole of each of the day’s nines, Adrian Meronk took a commanding lead after the second day of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, becoming the first player from Poland ever to lead any round on the European Tour.

The event, which is held in unison by the European and Sunshine Tours, is being played at the picturesque Leopard Creek Country Club in Malelane, a small farming town in the northeast part of South Africa. Earlier in the day, the European Tour and PGA Tour announced a new alliance, with a release noting that the PGA Tour will buy a minority stake in the European Tour’s media production company.

Meronk followed Thursday’s 65 with a solid 66 on Friday, using six birdies and an eagle to take a three-stroke lead. The Polish product played collegiately at East Tennessee State University and has one victory on the Challenge Tour.

Joachim B. Hansen fired a 64 on Friday and is three shots behind Meronk, as is Richard Bland.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout, the highest-ranked player in the field, shot a 68 on Friday, moving into a tie for sixth place.

The event is one of the most intriguing on the European Tour because the course sits in a small enclave along the Crocodile River. The setting is so spectacular because just across the river sits Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s largest game reserves.

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Meet the 2019 European Challenge Tour graduate class

Alistair Tait breaks down the Challenge Tour graduating class of 2019 and three players to look out for.

The 2019 Challenge Tour graduate class will have to play very well to top the class of 2018. Eleven of last year’s 15 graduates kept their cards on the main tour this year.

Don’t expect the class of 2019 to match that statistic. That’s not to say there aren’t good players amongst this year’s graduates, but it’s hard to see any of the 15 coming close to the likes of Victor Perez, Robert Macintyre, Adri Arnaus and Joachim B. Hansen, who are currently ninth, 13th, 36th and 52nd respectively on the Race to Dubai after getting their cards via last year’s Challenge Tour.

So who is most likely to excel in the 2020 season? Here are three names to look out for in 2020.

Key players in 2020

Connor Syme of Scotland, England’s Matthew Jordan and Pole Adrian Meronk are the likely lads of 2020.

Syme has been a potential Scottish star since he won the 2016 Australian Amateur Championship. He played in the 2017 Walker Cup, winning just one point out of a possible four. He turned that disappointment around by earning his European card for the 2018 season via the Qualifying School. Syme finished 126th on the money list, with a second-place finish in the Shot Clock Masters. He made 12 of 26 cuts in his rookie year.

With two full seasons under his belt, Syne should have enough experience to do a better job in his second tilt at the main tour. He’ll get a decent number of starts this year in good tournaments. He might not match fellow 2017 Walker Cup player Macintyre’s feats of this season, but he has the game to at least keep his card next year.

Jordan looked good in this year’s Betfred British Masters at Hillside Golf Club on the main tour, especially when he led after an opening 63 to set a course record. He eventually finished 15th, and didn’t look out of place alongside the likes of Tommy Fleetwood, Eddie Pepperell, Matt Wallace and other high calibre Englishmen in the field.

Jordan also played in the 2017 Walker Cup but went 0-2. The softly spoken Englishman is a links specialist, courtesy of his membership of Royal Liverpool. He won the 2017 St Andrews Links Trophy, a major amateur championship in the British Isles. Look for him to excel on fast running courses where the wind is a factor.

Meronk is the outside bet in this trio. He spent four years at East Tennessee State, when he won four times. He becomes the first Polish player to play on the European Tour. The 6-foot, 5-inch player might not light up the main tour next year, but he has the game to have a respectable season along with Syme and Jordan.

The Challenge Tour Class of 2019

  1. Francesco Laporta, Italy, 29 – Made five trips to the Qualifying School and succeeded in 2015 only to finish 189th on the money list. Has two Challenge Tour wins.
  2. Callum Hill, Scotland, 26 – Has three Challenge Tour wins including twice this year. Failed to get his card for main tour at 2018 Qualifying school. Has played just five European Tour events.
  3. Richard Bland, England, 46 – Veteran European Tour pro who epitomizes the term “journeyman.” He has two seconds in main tour events but has never won in 448 starts. His best season was 2016 when he finished 28th on the Race to Dubai.
  4. Sebastian Heisele, Germany, 31 – Played college golf at Colorado, graduating in 2011 with a degree in architecture. Has one Challenge Tour victory. Made six visits to the Qualifying School, with success in 2016 and 2017 but failed to keep his card both times.
  5. Adrian Meronk, Poland, 26 – Won this year’s 57º Open de Portugal @ Morgado Golf Resort. Played college golf at East Tennessee State, and becomes first Polish golfer to hold a full European Tour card.
  6. Jack Senior, England, 31 – Has made eight unsuccessful trips to the European Tour Qualifying School. Has two Challenge Tour victories, including one this year. Won the 2011 Lytham Trophy and went on to play in that year’s victorious GB&I Walker Cup team, winning two and a half points out of four.
  7. Robin Roussel, France, 26 – Has one Challenge Tour win, this year’s Hauts de France – Pas de Calais Golf Open. He also won on the MENA Tour. He’s made four unsuccessful trips to the Qualifying School.
  8. Antoine Rozner, France, 26 – Won back-to-back events on the Challenge Tour this year, taking the Challenge de España by four shots and then running out a seven-shot winner of the Prague Golf Challenge. Has made two unsuccessful trips to the Qualifying, 2017 and 2018.
  9. Matthew Jordan, England, 23 – The softly spoken Englishman won the Italian Challenge Open Eneos Motor Oil to pave his way to the European Tour. The Royal Liverpool member made a splash on the European Tour this year in the Betfred British Masters when he set a course record at Hillside Golf Club with an opening 63. He eventually finished 15th. Played in the 2017 Walker Cup at Los Angeles.
  10. Ricardo Santos, Portugal, 37 – The Tour veteran had a full card for three straight seasons between 2012 and 2014. He won the 2012 Madeira Islands Open in his homeland. He won this year’s Swiss Challenge Presented by Swiss Golf on the Challenge Tour. He’s made nine unsuccessful visits to the Qualifying School
  11. Cormac Sharvin, Northern Ireland, 27 – Sharvin helped Great Britain & Ireland win the 2015 Walker Cup at Royal Lytham, winning three points out of three. In 2015, he won the prestigious Brabazon Trophy. He failed to get his tour card at the 2016 Qualifying School and has spent the last three years on the Challenge Tour.
  12. Oliver Farr, Wales, 31 – The Welshman has had a full European Tour card twice before, 2015 and 2018, both times via the Challenge Tour top 15. He has three Challenge Tour wins, including this year’s Lalla Aïcha Challenge Tour in Morocco.
  13. Darius van Driel, The Netherlands, 30 – Winning the Rolex Trophy, his second Challenge Tour win, helped him finish in the top 15 of the money list. Gave up the game at 18 because of a broken right hand after falling off a banana boat. Took it up again in 2015 and topped the Alps Tour money list.
  14. Connor Syme, Scotland, 24 – Won the 2016 Australian Amateur and reached eighth on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Played in the 2017 Walker Cup. Got his card at the 2017 Qualifying School, but finished 126th on last year’s Race to Dubai. Won this year’s Turkish Airlines Challenge to ensure a return to the main tour.
  15. Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez, Spain, 30 –After four fruitless attempts at the Qualifying School, the Spaniard took 15th and final spot on the Challenge Tour money list by €1,437.50. Didn’t win on the circuit but had seven top 10s including two seconds.