Adrian Meronk, Poland’s biggest and best golfer

Adrian Meronk, cover star of issue 197 of bunkered, is Poland’s greatest golfer.

There’s nothing better than having a fellow countryman to root for. Some nations, in golf terms, are spoilt for choice.

The USA, for example, currently have the Masters champion and the Chevron Championship winner, while Australia have the Champion Golfer of the Year and the US Women’s Open champion.

In Scotland, a strong, ever-growing group of talented players are making their way through the ranks in the European game.

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In Poland, however, things are different. One man is blazing a trail for other golfers to follow. Adrian Meronk was the first golfer from the central European country to earn a DP World Tour card and in 2022 became the first to win on the tour. If you want a golfer to follow from Poland, he is the man.

It’s something that the 29-year-old is aware of, but not something he says he chases. If success breeds fame, then so be it.

“Back home in Poland, golf is still quite small, but it’s starting to grow at a really fast rate,” he explained. 

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“I don’t really get recognised unless I’m at the golf club. I don’t really chase it, being famous, but if it happens, it happens.

“It’s really nice to know that you have the support from back home. All the people that follow golf, I get lots of support from them. It means a lot to me.”

It can be hard, Meronk says, to measure the impact his success has back home, but a recent visit to the Polish junior championship confirmed that his performances are having an impact.

“There’s a lot of youngsters who are now starting the game,” he said. 

“I remember when I first played the Polish junior championship, there was maybe 40 kids. Now, the event has around 200 kids and there’s a cut, so that’s encouraging. 

“There are new golf courses being built, so it’s growing, for sure. If I can be part of that, it’s brilliant.” 

When Adrian, who employs Gullane-based caddie Stuart Beck, made the journey to Scotland to play The 150th Open at St Andrews, he attracted a pretty big following. It’s no surprise, either. The 6ft6in star makes for entertaining viewing.

His length off the tee has him averaging comfortably over 300-yards, while his putting is one of the best on tour as well. For fans of European golf, he’s becoming a big draw.

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However, when he bagged a practice round with the biggest draw in the sport at the Old Course, Meronk was aware the crowds weren’t for him.

“To be honest, getting a practice round with Tiger, it was amazing. I didn’t expect that at all.

“I got a picture with him on Tuesday on the putting green and I thought that would be the last time I would see him that week. But then, I saw him on the tenth tee on the Wednesday and I just went up to him and asked if I could play with him. 

“He said ‘Yes’ and that was it. It was a great round and obviously a lot of people were following him, but he was very chatty and very open. It’s probably my favourite practice round of my professional career, that’s pretty hard to beat.” 

Meronk has recently broken new ground, making his first start in a PGA Tour event in Bermuda. Although that didn’t produce the result he would have hoped, if he can continue his strong form from 2022 into the new year and beyond, he is destined to be one of Europe’s top talents.

Adrian Meronk currently ranks in the top-five for Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Strokes Gained: Putting on the DP World Tour. 

In issue 197 of bunkered, he explains the keys behind both those parts of his game.