Adrian Meronk a Pole apart as Irish look to The Open with confidence

‘I thought wearing the green might bring some luck’ says 27-year-old as he writes his name into history books

Poland's Adrian Meronk celebrates on the 18th green after winning the Horizon Irish Open Golf Championship at Mount Juliet Golf Club in Thomastown, Kilkenny. Photo: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Brian Keogh

July 04 2022 02:30 AM

Adrian Meronk produced a clutch performance worthy of his idols Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy when he closed with a six-under 66 to claim a resounding three-shot victory in the Horizon Irish Open at Mount Juliet.

In a week marked by the annual lament over the date and the lack of top-50 players in the field – just five this year – six foot six inch Meronk emerged as a potential new European giant as he became the first Pole to win on the DP World Tour.

Wearing a hat and shoes tinted with green and with his Irish manager Kate Whyte looking on, the 27-year-old finished birdie-birdie-eagle-par to win from fast-finishing New Zealander Ryan Fox on 20-under par, claiming a cheque for €974,605, a move to sixth on the DP World Tour Rankings and a jump from 110th to around 61st in the world.

“I brought the shoes especially for this week,” he said. “Wore them every day, same with the hats. I thought playing the Irish Open, wearing the green might bring some luck, and it did. I’m glad I did it.”

After recording six top-six finishes this season before getting over the line in front of a sell-out 20,000 crowd, his initial emotion was one of relief

“Such a relief, to be honest, I’ve been a couple of times close this year. So to close it off in Ireland in The Irish Open in such a special event on the schedule, it’s really special for me.”

As Shane Lowry shot 67 to tie for ninth on 12-under and head for the JP McManus Pro-Am and The Open with his putting confidence restored, Pádraig Harrington opened with five straight birdies en route to a 69 to share 30th on seven-under with Séamus Power, who bounced back from Saturday’s 77 with a 68.

Meronk began the final round with a one-shot lead over England’s Jack Senior, Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti and Spain’s Jorge Campillo. But after turning for home a shot behind New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, Scotland’s David Law, South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence and Norway’s Espen Kofstad, he came home in 31 to emerge as a potential new star for next year’s Ryder Cup.

Big-hitting Fox, so close to winning at Ballyliffin in 2018, got to 18-under with an eagle at the 17th but bogeyed the last, carding an eight-under 64 to set the target at 17-under.

As the rest fell away, Meronk knocked in a 25-footer at the 15th and a 12-footer at the 16th for birdies before brushing in a 24-footer for an eagle three at the 17th, from the fringe to go three clear on 20-under. “I’ve been coming quite close a couple of times this year, and to finally open the door, it’s just a dream come true,” Meronk said after recording a textbook closing par. “That’s why we practise every day, and such a relief and so happy.”

Lowry endured a bittersweet day as he discovered Offaly had lost a six-point lead and fallen to Tipperary’s last gasp goal in the All-Ireland minor hurling final. “I was told going to the 17th tee that we had won and then I stood on the 17th tee and saw my brother and he gave me the thumbs down, goal in the last minute,” Lowry said after another good day on the greens restored his recent loss of confidence in his putting.

“It’s devastating for those young lads . . . I know everyone was really excited about this, I was too, but like I said that’s sport. I actually had my Offaly jersey in the bag, I was tempted to put it on down 18 if they had have won.”

After finishing with four successive birdies to make the cut, Lowry played his last 40 holes in 13-under.

“It was nice to play good golf at the weekend,” he said. “I said on Friday and Saturday evening that all I wanted to do was go out and find some good form and play some good golf and bring a bit of confidence going forward to St Andrews, and I really felt like I got that.”

As for the Irish Open date, he knows two weeks before The Open doesn’t suit McIlroy and suggests the week after The Open or September’s BMW PGA might be more attractive and relaxing for players.

Harrington lit up the morning for the Irish fans, opening with five straight birdies before picking up a sixth of the day at the eighth to turn in 30 get to within four shots of the lead.

The Dubliner (50) wasn’t thinking of winning but carding a 59 but he ran up a double-bogey seven at the 10th after tree trouble and went on to share 30th with Power after a 69.

“I was much better on greens this week than last week,” he said, joking he was grateful the “random” draw from the JP McManus Pro-Am gave him two late tee-times. “The ball is rolling well, no tension.”

Power saw his title chances evaporate with a third round 77 but his closing 68 gave him a boost for The Open where he reckons his links skills will be an advantage. “I’m going to play Royal County Down next Sunday, my first time ever, and then take the ferry over,” he said.

“You’re playing golf courses you’ve played before and conditions you’re used to. You’re almost hoping for some weather or at least some wind and stuff because there could be a lot of guys who could be in trouble even before they tee up.”

Playing alongside Power, Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney signed off with a 70 to tie for 58th on four-under – a disappointment after being five-under through eight holes on Thursday.

“It’s been a positive week again, another cut made,” Kearney said. “But it was a slightly disappointing weekend. Three-under through five yesterday and today and I just didn’t drive it on.”

As for the three spots in The Open, they went to Law, 2020 Irish Open winner John Catlin and Zanotti, who tied for fourth on 15-under.