“Adrian Meronk not making the European Ryder Cup team is a crime”: Former Team Europe vice-captain on Polish golfer’s snub

The European picks for the Ryder Cup were not nearly as controversial as the selections made for the American side. But there are still a great many dissenting voices towards Luke Donald's selections.

Former vice-captain Paul Goydos was bewildered by one golfer's snub: Adrian Meronk. The DP World Tour's ninth-ranked golfer has been in good form and Goydos could not believe he was left off.

The former vice-captain took to X, formerly Twitter, to say:

“Adrian Meronk not making the European Ryder Cup team is a crime.”

Meronk came in ranked fifth in European Ryder Cup points. He was ahead of Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Tyrell Hatton, and even Viktor Hovland. Those players all made the team, so Meronk's omission is surprising.

Luke Donald's team consists of:

Rory McIlroy (qualifier)
Jon Rahm (qualifier)
Matt Fitzpatrick (qualifier)
Viktor Hovland (qualifier)
Tyrrell Hatton (qualifier)
Robert MacIntyre (qualifier)
Tommy Fleetwood (selection)
Sepp Straka (selection)
Justin Rose (selection)
Shane Lowry (selection)
Nicolai Hojaard (selection)
Ludvig Aberg (selection)

They will be up against this United States team:

Scottie Scheffler (qualifier)
Wyndham Clark (qualifier)
Brian Harman (qualifier)
Patrick Cantlay (qualifier)
Max Homa (qualifier)
Xander Schauffele (qualifier)
Brooks Koepka (selection)
Jordan Spieth (selection)
Cameron Young (selection)
Collin Morikawa (selection)
Keegan Bradley (selection)
Sam Burns (selection)

These are two good teams, but there are potentially a few glaring oversights from the captain's choices. Meronk, per Goydos, is one of the worst.

Ryder Cup omissions like Adrian Meronk are glaring

The Ryder Cup is slowly being accused of being a "Boys Club" that prioritizes names over form. This was a chief accusation against the US side when they selected Justin Thomas over Keegan Bradley and Cameron Young. But the same accusation is now being levied towards Donald's side over his omission of Meronk.

The fact that Meronk was going to be passed over by Luke Donald was leaked beforehand, and it turned out to be true. It was a surprising thought then, and it's even more shocking now that it's become a reality.

Popular analyst and former professional player Rob Lee once said via Sky Sports:

"I think what impressed me the most about Meronk is that he knew and has learnt how to get across the line. Some of those around him, they didn't have that winning experience ... He is doing all the right things and I would be astonished if he wasn't in the Ryder Cup side."

Meronk would have likely provided help for the Europeans, who are trying to prevent the USA from winning in Europe for the first time in several outings. While one player's selection vs. another's omission doesn't alter the chances all that much, it's always advisable to pick the best players.

It may not be a crime like Goydos said, but it's going to be tough to swallow if the European team cannot win. It will likely be a frustrating blow for Adrian Meronk, who probably deserved more consideration due to his current form.