Horizon Irish Open Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

DP World Tour: Adrian Meronk reaches new heights as he climbs summit at Mount Juliet

Matt Smith — Sun, 03 Jul 2022 17:19:45 +0000

By Matt Smith
Dubai’s newest celebrity golf resident was the new champ at the Irish Open as he produced a second day of closing-hole masterclasses to win by three strokes in the DP World Tour $6 million event. The 29-year-old Pole sank a wonderful eagle on 17 to end the hopes of Ras Al Khaimah champion Ryan Fox.

On Saturday, Meronk birdied four of the last six holes to get into contention, and delivered a dream birdie-birdie-eagle from 15 to 17 on Sunday to allow himself the luxury of a relaxing stroll up 18 on his way to carding a six-under 66 and a 20-under total, before claiming his first-ever DP World Tour title.

He also made his own history as he became the first Polish winner on the tour.

Meronk began the day with a slender one-stroke lead at a sold-out Mount Juliet Estate, but found himself one behind with five holes to play after in-form Fox posted an eight-under 64 to get to 17-under.

Then the Pole delivered the biggest few holes of his career as he holed lengthy birdie putts at 15 and 16 to regain the outright lead before making a monster eagle — fist-pump included —on the long 17th to give himself a three-shot cushion and a relaxing walk up 18, roared on by 25,000 avid fans.

He safely parred the last to claim his maiden DP World Tour crown and joined the likes of Colin Montgomerie, Rory McIlroy, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo in Irish Open lore — his name was being etched before he had approached the 18^th, thanks to that comfy lead.

“It was so great to finally get over the line,” Meronk said. “To make this landmark is a delight and to do it at the Irish Open is amazing. It was super-amazing. The final stretch in front of these fans is one of my favourite experiences. The fans were amazing. It felt like home so I love you all for the support.”

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Dubai’s Adrian Meronk edges into the lead at Irish Open

Matt Smith — Sat, 02 Jul 2022 16:43:36 +0000

By Matt Smith
Dubai resident Adrian Meronk made a late charge at Mount Juliet to take a one-stroke at the Horizon Irish Open on Saturday.

The Pole clawed his way through the field to card a four-under 68 and take top spot on 14-under ahead of England’s Jack Senior, Paraguay No. 1 Fabrizio Zanotti and halfway leader Jorge Campillo of Spain.

American John Catlin and Norway’s Espen Kofstad are tied fifth on 12-under, one ahead of South African Lawrence Thriston, and defending champion Lucas Herbert.

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RAK champion Ryan Fox keeps racking up the scores at Horizon Irish Open

Matt Smith — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 19:07:31 +0000

By Matt Smith
Kiwi superstar Ryan Fox continued his sensational season by carding eight birdies in a stunning opening-round 64 to storm into the lead at the Horizon Irish Open, an event at which the New Zealander came within a whisker of winning four years ago.

Thousands of fans descended on the County Kilkenny venue as full-capacity crowds returned to the historic national open for the first time since 2019 and, while home heroes Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry and Seamus Power were the star attractions as the event teed off, Ras Al Khaimah champion Fox soon took centre stage.

The 35-year-old had come agonisingly close to winning this event in 2018, missing out in a play-off to Russell Knox who holed a monster putt to win, and he put himself in the driving seat after the opening round at Mount Juliet with a bogey-free eight-under round.

That left him a shot clear of Frenchman Frederic Lacroix, Jorge Campillo of Spain, Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti and Marcel Schneider of Germany.

World No. 36 Power and Niall Kearney were the leading Irishmen after round one, both carding four-under rounds while Harrington and Lowry will enter day two on two-under and one-under respectively.

“I’m more surprised, to be honest, than anything else,” said Fox. “I’ve been fighting it on the range the last couple days after the weekend, and certainly didn’t look like it early in the round. I made a couple of birdies, but I was scrapping away, and then stop and collect on seven, eight, hit a great wedge shot in there and made a few putts as well.

“So just one of those days that I guess it shows how important patience is in a round of golf, and from first six holes I felt like two-under would have been a great score. And then the last 10 holes, I felt like I could have shot anything, to be honest.

“It’s just one of those silly little golf feelings, what feels right and, you know, I saw a couple shots. So it was stopping and finishing where I wanted the ball to go. And I always feel like in golf you’re probably two swings away from playing really well and two swings away from playing really badly. So I think we’re out in the two swings away from playing really well today.”

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