ADRIAN MERONK
AGE 31, PNIEWY, POLAND
left out was one of the reasons Meronk left for LIV earlier this year. Now he’s beyond excited to get another opportunity to play under a flag. “I love the Olympic Games. I’ve watched every single one in my life,” says Meronk, who was named DP World Tour Player of the Year in 2023. “To be able to represent Poland in Tokyo, seeing all these athletes, staying in the Village, it was a dream come true. I think the Olympics are a big, big part of me.”
European Challenge Tour in 2019. Getting promoted to the DP World Tour coincided with qualifying for Tokyo as Poland’s first- ever Olympic golfer. The solidarity Meronk felt with the rest of the Polish delegation contrasted with the experience he had leading up to the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone. Despite winning twice in 2023 – including the Italian Open at the host course – Meronk was passed over for a captain’s selection. The bitterness of being
Sometimes it’s easy to pick out the golfer from a lineup of Olympic athletes, but put Adrian Meronk in his Poland team warmup, and he could just as easily pass as a member of the men’s volleyball team or a high jumper. The 6-foot-6 Meronk was a multi-sport star growing up outside
Poznan, focusing only on golf as a
teenager because he gravitated towards its solo responsibility. It suits him: Meronk won five times in college at East Tennessee State and again on the
‘I LOVE THE OLYMPIC GAMES. I’VE WATCHED EVERY SINGLE ONE IN MY LIFE.’
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 71
JULY/AUGUST 2024
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator