Adrian Meronk says he is intent on harnessing his excitement rather than being daunted by the challenge as he looks to play his way into an automatic qualifying spot for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup.
The Pole is one of five players in the field at this week’s D+D REAL Czech Masters – the penultimate event in the qualification process – who are chasing the final automatic spot on the European Points List, currently occupied by Robert MacIntyre.
Since winning his first DP World Tour title at the Horizon Irish Open last year, Meronk has continued to blaze a trail for golf in his homeland and is looking to make more history by becoming the first player from his country to compete in a Ryder Cup.
The 30-year-old, who has competed in all four Major Championships this year, won at Ryder Cup host venue Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in May, which followed on from victory in Australia at the start of the ongoing campaign.
A hallmark of Meronk's performances so far this season has been his approach play, ranking third for Greens in Regulation on Tour, and he is confident in his gameplan.
“I’m trying to not put too much pressure on myself and treat each week the same as I’ve always done," he said.
“I’m just going to focus on that and try not to get ahead of myself. If I do that, I should be fine. I’ll trust my process and strategy and keep going forward.
“If I get nervous and think about the Ryder Cup, I’ll just try to accept it and move on. I’m very excited about the next two weeks and I want to play well."
Meronk sits fourth on the season-long Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex and is feeling re-energised following a month-long competitive break since The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool.
He admits he has taken the time to put the clubs away and fuel his competitive hunger but is now excited to be back chasing further silverware.
“It was really nice just trying to get some rest, get hungry again and it’s great to be back competing,” he said.
“I’m excited for tomorrow to get going again.”
Meronk is making his third appearance at the D+D REAL Czech Masters, having finished in a share of 17th place on his last visit in 2021, and is a big fan of the Albatross Golf Resort.
“I like it a lot, I’ve played here twice in the past,” he said.
“It’s a solid golf course, you have to hit a lot of good shots. It’s going to be playing quite long this week because the fairways are quite soft.
“The weather looks good, it’s going to be a good week. Hopefully I can keep playing well as I have this year and see what happens.”
