Adrian Meronk is delighted to be taking another step forward in his career as he completes the set of Major appearances at this week's US PGA Championship.
The Pole has long been a golfing trailblazer for his nation, achieving an array of firsts as a winner on the DP World Tour and European Challenge Tour, and he last month became the first Polish player to tee it up at the Masters Tournament.
Sitting at 47 on the Official World Golf Ranking ahead of the top-60 cut off for the U.S. Open on Monday, and with a place at The Open Championship assured, 2023 also looks certain to be the first time he will play all four Majors in a calendar year.
With two victories already under his belt and a holed winning putt at the Hero Cup, this season is already the best of his career so far, with the prospect of a Ryder Cup looming at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in September.
"The last year has been really good for me and this year is the first time I'm playing all the Majors and all the big tournaments and I'm very excited about it," he said. "That's why I practise. I want to keep moving forard and it's a good step in the right direction.
"I'm very excited to be in this position and I just hope to play my best golf and see what happens.
"I know more or less what to expect, I know it's going to be difficult. I know I will have to stay patient and there will a lot of acceptance and tricky shots. I think I'm ready for the week and I'll just try to cherish every moment.
"I'm very excited, I can't wait to get started. The course looks great, it's going to be a great test of golf and I'm looking forward to it."
Oak Hill Country Club is a very different proposition to what it was ten years ago when Jason Dufner lifted the Wanamaker Trophy, with the vast majority of the layout having undergone a major overhaul.
The rough this week is BRUTAL 🫣#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/Jw0KYOrxua
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) May 16, 2023
With thick rough and testing winds expected, the 1995 Ryder Cup venue is expected to provide a stern challenge and Meronk is ready for whatever may come.
"It looks like a U.S. Open set-up this week so it's going to require a lot of patience, a lot of good shots and it will be fun," he said.
"The rough is brutal. I think the key will be hitting fairways, the tee-shots will be the key which is not easy because on some of the holes the wind is usually across so it's going to be tricky to find the lines and commit.
"It will be a good test for me to commit to every shot because I know every shot is going to be difficult. That is a big thing for me, you can't really relax on courses like this so I'm just looking to another great experience and hopefully I learn a lot."
