A week after helping Europe recapture the Ryder Cup in Italy, Fitzpatrick won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland by three shots. What made this much different than his previous eight DP World Tour titles is that Matt and his mom, Susan, also partnered to win the pro-am portion of the event.

“Win with my Mum [feels even better than the individual win],” Fitzpatrick, who finished at 19 under par, told reporters at St. Andrews after. “Easily. Yeah, she’s been wanting to play all year and she’s been looking forward to it. To go out there and play as well as you did and as well as I did as well, it’s amazing to win together.”

Heavy rains caused a Monday finish and a tournament shortened to 54 holes. Normally, the pro-am is also 72 holes with a 54-hole cut after rounds at three different courses (St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns) like the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. But after waiting to play for two days, the Fitzpatricks fired a best-ball final-round score of 59 on the Old Course to win by five shots.

“I just helped guide her around,” said the 2022 U.S. Open champ, who shot a 66 on his own ball Monday. “One of my close friends, Josh, is on the bag, and he’s done great helping her out. We had a great week and really dovetailed well this week. I think last year we struggled on that front, every time I made a birdie, Mum would make a birdie and she’s been brilliant this week.”

A Fitzpatrick family success@MattFitz94 and his mum, Susan are the 2023 #dunhilllinks Team Championship winners ? pic.twitter.com/75rB8u9DQd

— Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (@dunhilllinks) October 9, 2023

Ryan Fox overcame the weather—and a hot dog mishap on Friday—to shoot 65 and finish T-2 in his title defence. Marcus Armitage and Matthew Southgate also finished at 16 under, three shots behind Fitzpatrick.

Matt Fitzpatrick, that is. Because Susan Fitzpatrick made sure everyone finished farther back in the team competition.

“I did play all right today,” Susan said. “I think it took me a few holes to get warmed up, but yeah, it’s just been sort of perfect golf conditions today. Really enjoyed it.”

Main image: Octavio Passos

The post Matt Fitzpatrick—and his mom!—win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Due to continued adverse weather that has caused chaos across the country, the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship will be extended until Monday as heavy rain continued to lash the Home of Golf in Scotland.

Floods have hit the country due to heavy rain. Nicola Stewart

A statement from the DP World Tour said: “The format will remain the same, with the objective to play the third round over all three courses — the Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links and Kingsbarns Golf Links on Sunday October 8 — and the fourth round at the Old Course on Monday.”

Tournament Director Mikael Eriksson said: “We always have a number of contingencies in the case of adverse weather conditions, and on this occasion the decision has been made alongside the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Committee to continue the tournament into Monday.

“We endeavour to play 72 holes if possible, and taking into consideration all factors, a Monday finished was deemed to be the preferred outcome. This will preserve the format of the tournament, with all competitors having the opportunity to play one round over each course, and the final round of both the Individual and Team events taking place at the Old Course after the third round cut.”

Main image: St Andrews. DP World Tour

The post Gotta love the Scottish weather… Dunhill goes into Monday due to rain appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The Englishman will take a one-shot lead into the weekend after birdieing four of his last five holes on day two at Kingsbarns in the three-course event.

After winning his first-ever point in the Ryder Cup, Fitzpatrick was on top again as he followed a 67 on day one at Carnoustie with a 64 to get to 13-under.

Spaniard Nacho Elvira and home favourite Grant Forrest were his nearest challengers, two shots clear of English duo Marcus Armitage and Matthew Southgate.

Playing together, Elvira and Forrest carded rounds of 66 and 67 respectively over the Old Course at St Andrews, while Armitage signed for a 68 at the Home of Golf, a score matched by Southgate at Kingsbarns.

Defending champion Ryan Fox, American Billy Horschel, Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and Finn Sami Välimäki were then at nine-under.

After the exertions of last week at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club and over courses which he has previously said do not suit him, Fitzpatrick could have perhaps been forgiven for not being at his best this week.

Last Friday: Won his first Ryder Cup point
This Friday: Leads the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship @MattFitz94 ? #dunhilllinks pic.twitter.com/YmjyzhzCoE

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 6, 2023

But he carded nine birdies and a single bogey just a week after the Marco Simone showdown with the US to put himself in pole position for DP World Tour win No. 9.

“I felt like we really enjoyed it out there,” said Fitzpatrick, who will now play the weekend at St Andrews. “We both like the golf course, Kingsbarns. Very relaxed atmosphere. Compared to Carnoustie, you can kind of coast a little bit more.

“Of the three, I do like Kingsbarns. I just think that’s the most enjoyable with the views, the hole designs. I like that one most. That’s the only one I felt any affinity to.

There was much jostling at the top of the leaderboard in the early stages of the day but it was playing partners Elvira and Forrest who were first to break out of the pack.

Forrest holed a 20-footer for eagle on the 14th but sandwiched it with bogeys on the 13th and 17th, while Elvira got up and down on the 14th and holed a six-footer on the 16th but made a bogey in between.

The duo then hit remarkable drives onto the green at the par-four 18th and Elvira holed from just five feet for eagle, with Forrest making a two-putt birdie from eight feet.

Elvira grabbed the lead as he put an approach to three feet at the second and holed a lengthy putt at the third but was soon joined by his playing partner who, after putting his second to five feet at the first, holed from 12 feet at the fourth and made a two-putt birdie on the par-five fifth.

It was Elvira in the lead again as he holed from 17 feet at the sixth but Forrest made a putt of similar length on the next before they both had company at 12-under in the form of Fitzpatrick.

The 2022 US Open champion took advantage of the par-five 12th, hit a brilliant tee-shot into the par-three 15th and then played a stunning recovery at the par-five 16th after two ragged shots.

A gain on the first was then followed by a two-putt birdie on the third and Fitzpatrick followed an approach to 12 feet at the fifth with another two-putt birdie after driving the green at the par-four sixth to join the lead.

A poor tee-shot at the seventh brought a bogey but the 29-year-old holed an excellent right-to-lefter from 15 feet at the next before getting up and down on the par-five ninth to lead the way.

Armitage made five birdies and a single bogey in his round, while Southgate had six birdies and a bogey in 16 holes before some late drama.

He was just one off the lead but recorded a triple-bogey on the par-three eighth before holing a huge eagle putt on the ninth to bounce back up the leaderboard.

Pavon signed for a 66 at St Andrews, one shot less than Välimäki at the same venue, while Fox carded a 69 at Kingsbarns, where Horschel recorded a 70.

German Nick Bachem, Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, Spaniard Alejandro del Rey, Dutchman Daan Huizing, American Peter Uihlein and England’s Matt Wallace were at eight-under.

Main image: DP World Tour

The post After Ryder Cup exertions, Matt Fitzpatrick surges at Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Two shots adrift of Australian Cameron Smith’s Open-winning 20-under-par total in June, this time McIlroy’s 66-66 St Andrews weekend and 13-under total ended up two shots behind Ras Al Khaimah and now Alfred Dunhill Links champion Ryan Fox of New Zealand and garnered only a T-4 finish.

So it is that McIlroy will head to next month’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai still searching for his first victory on his home circuit in 2022. His sizeable points lead atop the tour rankings tells a story of remarkable consistency, however. In nine events so far this year, a T-12 in Abu Dhabi back in January remains his only finish outside the top 10. And eighth at the PGA Championship is the only other time he has not inhabited the top five. In all, McIlroy has six times finished in the top four.

Still, while it is surely nice to be the man to beat, it can’t be quite so pleasant when someone keeps doing just that. Which is not to say McIlroy will be leaving the Home of Golf less than philosophical. As he pointed out after completing his final round with what was his seventh birdie of the day, he started eight shots back armed with “no great ambitions”.

“I’m playing really well, which I keep saying,” McIlroy said. “When you put yourself in the mix week in and week out, you are going to win some tournaments you probably shouldn’t. And you’re going to lose some you should probably win. It evens out at the end of the year. Plus, today all I was thinking about was a top-10 and finishing the week on a positive.”

It is fair to assume that thinking didn’t last too long as overnight leader Richard Mansell faltered early and often. Along with Fox and eventual runners-up Callum Shinkwin and Alex Noren, McIlroy surely scented blood.

One-under after five, McIlroy went in and out of St Andrews’ loop at the far end of the course in one-over 3s, his only 4 in an eight-hole stretch from the sixth tee to the 13th green coming at the seventh. The run ended at the long 14th, when McIlroy’s birdie attempt from about 20 feet horseshoed out of the cup. It was, as things turned out, the beginning of the end. Only a minute or so earlier, Fox had moved to 15-under, two shots clear of the four-time major champion.

Amidst that run of 3s, McIlroy hit what must rank as one of the shots of his season, a full-blooded drive off the par-4 12th tee that finished 13 feet, eight inches from the flag. The putt for eagle missed. But no matter. One hole later, a five-foot birdie putt disappeared into the cup. Seconds after that, however, Fox’s birdie at the ninth relegated McIlroy to the role of pursuer once again.

“I walked down the 12th and thought my ball was actually Matt Southgate’s ball,” McIlroy said. “His was further right, on the line mine finished on. My ball nudged right on landing. Look, there’s a bit of luck involved. You whack it down there and see what bounce and hill it takes. I got a good break for it to finish where it did. I actually hit what felt like a better shot to 14, but it ended up in the back bunker. It’s a tough up-and-down from there.”

What proved to be the absolute end of McIlroy’s quest to end years of frustration in this event — he has three times been runner-up, once third and now twice T-4 in nine starts — was, as so often at the Old Course, the infamous Road Hole. After pulling his drive into the left rough off the penultimate tee, McIlroy’s approach found the equally infamous Road Hole bunker. From there, he played sideways and eventually did well to make bogey.

“I didn’t have to get the ball up at 90 degrees, but it wasn’t far off,” he said. “I had visions of myself leaving it in there. I thought if I could at least make 5, I could maybe eagle the last to make up for it. If it was 10 years ago and I was in my exuberant youth, I would have tried it. But I know better these days.”

Rory McIlroy reacts on the 18th green about losing to Ryan Fox. Ross Parker

There was one consolation for McIlroy. Playing with his father, Gerry, for the eighth time in this event, the pair made the cut for the seventh time, ending up in a tie for eighth place on 30-under, seven shots behind the winners, Shinkwin and New York art dealer Alex Aquavella. All in all, good enough for McIlroy to ponder a ninth attempt in 2023.

“It was a really good effort for us to make the cut and get another round at the Old Course,” said the junior McIlroy. “We thought this might be our last one, but I think after this we’ll have to give it another try next year. I get enough warm weather. I like getting back here. I like the climate. I like the seasons, which is something Florida doesn’t have. It’s nice to be here.”

Not surprisingly, Fox was making similar noises after his second DP World Tour victory of the season, one that surely sent a message to the captain of the International team at last week’s Presidents Cup, Trevor Immelman. Despite being ranked higher than five of the South African’s wildcard picks — and one of the automatic qualifiers — Fox, a non-PGA Tour member, was controversially omitted from the squad.

All of that, however, was not Fox’s first thought in the aftermath of a victory that paid him $816,000. Instead, his mind was fixed on legendary cricketer and long-time Fox partner in this event, Shane Warne, who died suddenly earlier this year.

“This means a lot,” Fox said. “To be honest, the only person I can really think of at the moment is Shane. I felt like he was there with me today. We were great mates. He loved this tournament and it’s just a shame he’s not here. He was missed by a lot of people.”

In truth, Fox made hard work of finishing off what is his third DP World Tour victory. Five-under for the day through 13 holes, he played the last five in one-over to just get over the line, one shot ahead of Shinkwin and Noren. Most stressful though was the bogey he made — eventually — on the aforementioned Road Hole.

After a drive way left in the heavy rough, Fox laid up nicely maybe 20 yards short of the elusive putting surface. The, next shot, however, was hit heavy, the ball coming up at least 50-feet short of the target. The first putt pulled up four feet away and Fox, three times a runner-up on tour this year, rapped in the second to give himself the opportunity to play safely for a winning par on the drivable 18th.

“Obviously, I was pretty nervy the last three holes,” admitted Fox, who has risen to second on the DP World Tour rankings, behind McIlroy. “I didn’t hit very good shots on 16, 17 or 18. I was just trying not to make mistakes. I knew where I was and it’s a hard golf course to do that. It’s almost an easy golf course when you’re chasing, but bad shots are really penal those last five holes. As bad as it sounds, I was just trying not to hit really bad shots. Thankfully, I got away with it for the most part.”

It’s what winners do.

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The post Rory McIlroy mounts another challenge at St Andrews — and again comes up short as flying Fox adds another title to Ras Al Khaimah crown appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The sibling members of the Fitzpatrick clan started the day even on two-under par and engaged in a tightly fought tussle that went all the way to the final green before subsiding into an honourable “half”. Both of Sue’s lads got round the most famous course in golf in 69 shots.

It was nip-and-tuck the whole way though, with Alex the faster starter of the two. Out in 33, the two-time Walker Cup player was two shots clear of his big brother and feeling pretty good about himself. Indeed, that advantage was still in place with three holes to play, the pressure firmly on Matt.

Standing on the 16th tee, Matt was spoken to by caddie Billy Foster. The message had nothing to do with any two-shot deficits though. By Foster’s reckoning, Matt needed two birdies in the last three holes to avoid teeing off on the 10th on Sunday. Which is important. The 10th tee on the Old Course is a long way from the first. As it turned out, Matt did make the two birdies required. A 10-foot putt disappeared on the 16th green. And two putts from left of the final green saw him break 70.

Don’t think he didn’t know the significance of the four-footer he stood over on that final green though.

“I knew exactly what that putt on 18 meant,” Matt said with a smile. “I was keeping tabs on him the whole way round.”

As for the younger Fitzpatrick, the Wake Forest graduate was more than happy with his play, even if the three putts he expended from the Valley of Sin on the 18th meant he had to give up bragging rights over dinner. For the record, the pair are both five under par and tied for 26th place with 18 holes over the Old Course left to play.

“It was a great day,” said Alex. “It’s not often you get to spend 18 holes with your family on the Old Course. It was fun to play with Matt and watch him play and do it all with our mum. It was special.”

Asked if he was nervous about playing in what is only his sixth DP World Tour event alongside a major champion, Alex was quick to praise his brother. Clearly, he is proud of all that Matt has achieved.

“I’ve been very lucky,” continued Alex, whose most recent starts have produced a T-21 finish in the Italian Open and T-13 at the French Open. “Matt helps me as much as you can think of. And in the last couple of weeks, I’ve been drawn alongside some top players. That has helped me enormously. It’s nice to get used to playing with big names. And yes, I’m fortunate that one of them is my brother. For other people it might be a little intimidating to tee-up with him watching, but for me it just about trying to impress my big brother.

“I would like to have made birdie on the last,” he continued, a big smile breaking out. “I was aware that I was one ahead. But I can’t complain.”

In terms of his plans going forward, the younger Fitzpatrick will play at Valderrama in Spain in two weeks time, then again in Majorca. Those DP World Tour events are but a prelude to his participation in the Korn Ferry Tour final qualifying school next month. How he does there will have the biggest impact on where and when he plays in 2023.

“One huge week over here would make things a bit clearer,” he admitted. “Hopefully I play well tomorrow too. I want to rack up as many points and see where that takes me. The ideal scenario would be to get my DP World Tour card, although I’m way off that at the moment, then do the same on the Korn Ferry Tour. That would be a dream. But things don’t normally work out like that. I’ll take it as it comes.”

All of which is for the future. Before he thinks of prize money and tour cards and just about anything else, Alex has a big brother to take care of.

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The post The Fitzpatrick boys are enjoying their tight family duel at St. Andrews appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

In the sort of weather — strong winds and sideways rain — that grounds seagulls and keeps even the hardiest Scots indoors, scores typically soared.

One day after shooting a course record-tying 61 at St. Andrews, Frenchman Romain Langasque staggered off Carnoustie having expended 19 shots more.

Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy’s bogey-free 66 on Day 1 almost turned into a birdie-free 76 on Day 2. Only once, at the par-5 fifth on the Old Course, did the Australian dip under par amid his five dropped shots.

Rory McIlroy tries to manage the elements while playing at Kingsbarns on Friday. David Cannon

Other notables also struggled too as officials had the whole field playing in a shotgun start on the three courses. Rory McIlroy’s 75 at Kingsbarns has the World No. 2 nine shots off the lead with his one-under-par total. US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick is but one stroke better after a 71 on the same course, although the Englishman has the slight consolation of being one of only eight men to have broken par in both rounds (American Billy Horschel is another). Not that such a fact seemed to be cheering him up any.

“Miserable, wet, cold, windy, it was absolutely horrible,” said Fitzpatrick, whose partner in the team competition is his mother, Susan. “Top-three worst conditions for sure, absolutely certain of that.”

Somebody please get Jamie Donaldson a new umbrella ? #DunhillLinks

(?dpworldtour) pic.twitter.com/dsUJN6JmhO

— National Club Golfer (@NCG_com) September 30, 2022

The worst score of the day, however, was the 88 posted by Alexander Knappe at the Old Course. Starting at the par-5 14th, the German made his opening par safely, but then needed 23 shots (6-9-8) to complete the next three holes. Out of sequence, he actually played the front-nine in a level-par 36, before roaring home in 52. Still, Knappe was far from alone in his despair. As many as 34 other professionals failed to break 80.

Inevitably, as is always the case where world-class players are concerned, there were those who prospered. But even then it wasn’t much fun.

“It got to a point where it wasn’t even golf,” said Robert MacIntyre, the Scotsman’s 70 at Kingsbarns hauling him up to a tie for sixth place on six-under, four shots back of Mansell. “It was just the best attitude got you through the game, and today I was playing with somebody I get on really well with in Tyrrell [Hatton]. We just had a laugh. But I’m soaked through. I’ve got water in my shoes. I just poked it around. It was a day when you couldn’t be perfect. It was just about being mediocre and making sure you didn’t make a big mistake.”

Speaking of Hatton, his “attitude” toward the conditions came with the two-time Dunhill winner’s usual bit of sarcasm as he was interviewed on the broadcast during the round.

.@timbartergolf "Obvious first question, describe playing conditions for us?":@TyrrellHatton: "Truly miserable." ?#DunhillLinks pic.twitter.com/7DVGAPuYjY

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 30, 2022

In second place on eight-under, Alex Noren nipped McIntyre by a shot and joined Mansell and Alex Fitzpatrick (younger brother of Matt) as the only men to break 70. And yes, the Swede was equally breathless at the end of what was basically a test of endurance as much as golf.

“I love wind, but I hate this rain, even though I played well,” said the former European Ryder Cup player. “I just had to trust that I could actually play golf because I couldn’t feel my hands. I couldn’t do anything other than try to keep the ball low, even downwind. Just keep it low was my aim, that and try not to be a hero.”

Even a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth wasn’t doing much to lighten Eddie Pepperell’s mood after a 74 at Kingsbarns.

“The worst ever,” he said of the conditions. “I don’t think we’ve ever played in stuff as difficult as that. It was just brutal.”

Antoine Rozner went even further after adding a commendable 74 at Kingsbarns to the startling 63 he shot over the Old Course on day one.

“I’m very proud of myself because it was such a grind,” said the Frenchman, who sits three off Mansell’s pace. “It was probably one of the worst days of my life.”

Ah, but we can always rely on Padraig Harrington to come up with a contrary view. Ever perverse, the former Open champion was all smiles at the end of his 71 at Kingsbarns.

“It was tough out there, but it wasn’t that windy and it obviously wasn’t cold,” claimed the Irishman, who is six shots back on four-under. “You just had to keep your head in the game all the time. Like everybody, I made a few mistakes, but I also holed a few putts which you need it do on a bad day.”

One last thing. Just to rub in the misery endured by the competitors (other than Harrington), the sun came out just as the last few groups were finishing. Welcome to Scotland everyone.

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The post ‘Absolutely horrible’: Wicked weather made Friday’s round at the Dunhill Links one of the all-time worst appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Obviously, the guy is pretty darn good at golf so he demands a lot of himself, but driving a 409-yard par 4 is a pretty high standard to have! And yet there was the four-time major champ going with a disappointed one-hand finish that would make Hideki Matsuyama proud. Have a look:

Rory nearly driving a 409 yard par 4 ??#DrivenByPassion | @bmwgolfsport pic.twitter.com/BNKOBzfzCb

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 29, 2022

Talk about a perfectionist.

Then again, earlier in the week McIlroy drove the 18th hole at St Andrews and made eagle.

Playing the 18th hole at @TheHomeofGolf with @McIlroyRory ???????

Just the driver and putter required for an eagle ?#DunhillLinks pic.twitter.com/gVHINK9XN4

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 28, 2022

So, yeah, he does have some pretty high standards.

Anyway, McIlroy is currently seven shots behind Langasque at the DP World Tour event, but he’ll get another crack at that 18th hole and the rest of the Old Course on Saturday. Get your popcorn ready.

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The post Rory McIlroy somehow seemed unhappy with this 400-yard(!) drive that nearly found the green appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

So yes, the weather was close to pristine, only a slight breeze blowing from the north. And yes, the pin positions in this pro-am event are less than severe in order to get the amateurs round in something less than six hours. But come on. Such a score over the most famous 18 holes on the planet is something to be savoured. So no wonder Langasque seemed slight stunned by the enormity of what he had achieved.

“I didn’t feel that I shot a number today,” he said. “I was having a good round, but just five, six [under], was the way I was thinking of it. But the end of the course was amazing. I holed a few long putts. The game was great, but no, I didn’t feel I shot 11-under. I never think I will have the course record in St Andrews, and I think now my name is going to be on this board. So yeah, I’m really happy about this. But it’s only the first round, so I’m also going to stay really focused for the next few days.”

In truth, while such a low score was always on the cards given the conditions — another Frenchman, Frederic Lacroix, shot 10-under at Kingsbarns and yet another, Antoine Rozner, complied a 63 over the Old Course — not many pundits would have picked Langasque as the man to get the job done. A one-time winner on the DP World Tour circuit at the 2020 Wales Open, the former British Amateur champion arrived in Scotland on the back of a missed cut in his own national Open, his third weekend off in his last five starts.

Still, dotted within Langasque’s record on tour this year are as many as five top-10s, the most recent at the BMW International Open in June. And bursts of low scoring have long been part of his golfing DNA. Playing in the 2016 Masters as a result of his British Amateur victory the year before, Langasque nipped round the back nine at Augusta National in 31 shots, tying the record for an amateur in the Masters. Clearly, when he gets it going, he sometimes finds it hard to stop.

Which is how it went over the Old Course.

“I was playing good on the front nine but just didn’t make any long putts or whatever,” Langasque said. “I know that the front nine was easier for me, so with the right-to-left wind. So I was just trying to make some opportunity to myself, and this is what happened. I holed a few long putts that makes the round better. I’m so happy, the last three holes were really fun and I made long putts. It’s amazing. I didn’t realise that I have the course record here now and I think it’s something I will remember for rest of my life.”

Next up for Langasque in the three-course rotation that forms this AT&T National Pro-am format, is Carnoustie on Friday, a place where the Grasse native also has good memories. It was over the fearsome Angus links that he won his Amateur Championship seven years ago. That is not to say that another really low score is on the cards. With a near horrendous weather forecast looming, tournament organisers have ordered an 8.30am shotgun start.

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The post Romain Langasque had no idea how low he was going at St Andrews until tying course record appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

During a practice round for this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Fleetwood found himself in a familiar — but uncomfortable — position over the back of the green on the famed Road Hole. But not only did Fleetwood manage to hole his pitch shot, he somehow knocked a second golf ball into the hole for a result you have to see to believe:

St Andrews is a magical place!! pic.twitter.com/uJI2w7BxcU

— Tommy Fleetwood (@TommyFleetwood1) September 28, 2022

“St Andrews is a magical place!!” Tommy tweeted with the video. No arguments here. That is pure sorcery right there, and one of the best unintentional trick shots we’ve ever seen.

Of course, there are people pointing to a possible backstopping violation here because that other ball near the hole wasn’t marked. But again, this isn’t the real tournament — and can’t we just enjoy something without picking it apart anymore?

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The post WATCH: We’re pretty sure Tommy Fleetwood just pulled off a first at the Old Course (involving two golf balls) appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Two things are dominating the 29-year-old Pole’s thinking, albeit he is quick to downplay both from such a distance of time and space. A place aboard the 2023 European Ryder Cup team in Italy is first on the agenda, to be followed quickly by claiming one of the 10 PGA Tour cards that will be available at the end of the 2023 DP World Tour schedule.

“The Ryder Cup is definitely a goal,” Meronk says. “But I don’t want to force it. I know it is possible if I stick to my plan and play consistently good golf. If I do that, it will happen. It is a long way off, but I will do whatever I can to make it. My ultimate goal, though, is to play on the PGA Tour. And it’s not far away, given my World Ranking. I’ll be looking for some invites towards the end of this year and early in 2023. My only pro start over there was the 2021 US Open at Torrey Pines [where he missed the cut]. I like American courses. So I’m looking forward to competing over there.”

Both aims, it must be said, are well within the scope of this 6-foot 6-inch giant. Despite his already considerable size, Meronk is a man on the rise, as seven top-10s in Europe this year testify. Currently eighth on the DP World Tour rankings, the former East Tennessee State student won the Irish Open in early July and, statistically, is the 57th best golfer on the planet, his best ranking to date.

All of which is part of a plan that has been in place since early May 2010, which is when swing coach Matthew Tipper first set eyes on the then 16-year-old Meronk.

“It was on the right-hand side of the range,” says the Welshman, who spent six years in Asia in the employ of David Leadbetter. “Adrian was the last kid I looked at that day. There was a tree at the end of the range, and I watched him smash balls over it with a mid-iron. I knew right away. His shots, which were flighted a little too high for my tastes, had the sort of sound about them that tell you the player is doing something right. It was pure.”

It still is. One of the better ball-strikers on the DP World Tour circuit, Meronk is fast improving in what he calls the “scoring” parts of the game. This season he ranks sixth in stroke average, three places higher than last year. But the most important number in his repertoire is the “two” that now appears in the “wins on tour” category. After a series of podium places this season, Meronk claimed the biggest victory of his career in Ireland.

Adrian Meronk celebrates victory on the 18th green during the final round of the 2022 Irish Open at Mount Juliet. Richard Heathcote

“It is very tough to win on tour,” he says. “So I was like most people in that I had to experience coming close without winning before I actually did win. So when that happened I knew what to expect. I knew how I was going to feel. I knew I just had to be patient, stick to my routines and keep believing in myself. As a result, I felt quite comfortable all through the final round. Which came from my past experiences.

“Before I had been nervous in contention,” he continues. “I tried too hard to ‘force’ stuff, instead of just letting it happen. Now I know it just about putting yourself in that position as many times as possible. And if you play well, it’s enough. If not, try again next time.”

Tipper contends there’s a lot of luck involved in winning: “But you have to learn from it all. Every great player goes through that stage. Sometimes, too, you can look too hard for problems. Sometimes you have to think you did OK and just got beat. It’s too easy to panic.

“We work on the basics, which are key because Adrian is so tall. We have to get those right so that his body can move properly. The next stage is to up-grade the shots around the greens, the wedges and the scoring clubs. We want to get his proximity to the hole down a bit. He doesn’t have to be world class in everything. Every day, the goal is always to get one per cent better in everything.”

Still, for the moment at least, Meronk is deriving pleasure from being the first Polish player to do, well, just about anything and everything in golf. He is the best-ever golfer from his home nation, one where golf is slowly gaining in popularity. Today there are 30 courses and, by Meronk’s estimation, maybe 20,000 golfers.

“Many juniors are starting,” he says. “Recently I noticed that a junior event I competed in as a kid, one that used to have maybe 40 kids, now has more than 200. There is more interest, but progress is slow. I’m sure my good play on tour helps though. It’s all heading in the right direction. My win in Ireland made the newspapers. I like to hear that I am the first Pole to do all kinds of things. It’s nice. Someone has to be first. I’m glad it’s me. I’m proud of it. And I want to make it as hard as possible for the next guy to say he is the best-ever Polish golfer. I want to make that really difficult.”

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The post Poland’s greatest player and Dubai resident, giant Adrian Meronk has big dreams to play on the PGA Tour appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.