Ryder Cup snub has pros calling it a ‘crime,’ Adrian Meronk takes high road


Adrian Meronk was snubbed.

On Monday, European Captain Luke Donald ignored the 30-year-old Pole as he finalized his workforce for the Ryder Cup.

As an alternative of Meronk, Donald opted for 2 younger, rising stars: Ludvig Aberg of Sweden and Nicholai Højgaard of Denmark.

But, Meronk leads the DP World Tour in strokes gained off the tee and sits in third place behind Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm within the Race to Dubai rankings.

Adrian Meronk, DP World Tour, Omega European Masters

Adrian Meronk performs his tee shot on the well-known, par-4 seventh gap at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Membership through the 2023 Omega European Masters.
Photograph by Stuart Franklin/Getty Pictures

The Race to Dubai is the DP World Tour’s equal of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup.

McIlroy and Rahm are part-time DP World Tour members too. The 2 superstars play in a handful of DP World Tour tournaments yearly, usually in solely the largest occasions within the Center East and the British Isles.

Rahm additionally performs within the Spanish Open yearly.

So, when contemplating this, Meronk ranks increased than every other full-time DP World Tour member within the season-long standings, however he is not going to signify his continent and nation within the Ryder Cup.

Meronk would have been the primary Polish participant to compete within the biennial competitors.

Much more inexplicable to Meronk’s snub is that he received the 2023 DS Cars Italian Open at Marco Simone Golf Membership in Rome.

Marco Simone is internet hosting the Ryder Cup.

However his win in Italy was not a one-hit surprise.

Meronk received the 2022 ISPS Handa Australian Open by 5 photographs over Adam Scott final December. He additionally received the 2022 Irish Open, which was held at Mount Juliet in County Kilkenny two weeks earlier than Cameron Smith received The Open at St. Andrews.

Certain, Meronk missed the reduce at two of the 4 majors this 12 months, however he recorded a top-25 end at Royal Liverpool, the place Brian Harman received his first main championship.

But, after the European workforce was revealed, Meronk, who performed collegiately at East Tennessee State, confirmed outstanding class on social media.

“Good luck,” Meronk posted.

However for Meronk to reveal this excessive degree of sophistication—and never categorical frustration—speaks to his great character.

He additionally obtained the help of many different touring professionals, together with former Ryder Cup Captain Ian Woosnam:

Richard Bland, a fellow European participant who now performs for LIV Golf, additionally weighed in:

Bland went so far as to say that Meronk ought to have made the workforce over Irishman Shane Lowry, who, like Justin Thomas, has not had a memorable season in 2023.

Others additionally felt strongly about Meronk’s omission from the workforce, together with Lee Westwood and Paul Goydos.

Do you suppose Meronk ought to have made the workforce? Tell us within the feedback beneath.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. Be sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.