"I think he just gets more impressive” - Rob Lee talks about Adrian Meronk’s chances to be in Ryder Cup Europe team after winning Italian Open
Adrian Meronk is ready to represent Europe at the Ryder Cup. That's the view of renowned golf analyst and former professional golfer Rob Lee. In his words, he would be "astonished" if Meronk were not called to the event.
In an interview for Sky Sport's Golf podcast, the veteran golf analyst weighed the chances of the team that Europe could field.
He felt that the likes of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, and Shane Lowry could be joined by emerging players of high quality. These players include, prominently, Adrian Meronk after his victory this weekend at the Italian Open.
"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," Lee said.
"I think he was quietly backing himself playing his tournament and he found his short game from somewhere. He played a beautiful short game all week. I think that bodes well because when you are a foursomes partner in the Ryder Cup, you want to know that if you miss the green, your partner can chip. That is big," he added.
"I think he just gets more impressive. I like him as a player and I rate him as a player. He is doing all the right things and I would be astonished if he wasn't in the Ryder Cup side."
Rob Lee also named Justin Rose as a potential participant in the Ryder Cup. He is also bullish about Europe's chances in the upcoming edition of the prestigious event.
"If Justin Rose is there or thereabouts, he is going to get a pick because experience is worth an awful lot in a Ryder Cup. What you can bring and add to a team room when you have got the youngsters there doing it for the first time. Old heads like that are very valuable.
"When I looked at this after we got absolutely clattered by the Americans and they had a very young team, I thought this was grim for Europe. I think this time, looking at this, I don't feel like that anymore. I am optimistic."
What do we know about 2023 Ryder Cup?
The 2023 Ryder Cup will be played in Italy in the fall, although the date is yet to be set. The venue for the tournament will be the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome, the same course where the Italian Open has just been played.
Considering that the tournament has been postponed since 2022, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the captains of both teams are already known. Zach Johnson will lead the US team, while England's Luke Donald will do the same for the European team.
The rules for the integration of the teams were also announced. The American team will select six members based on the Ryder Cup points list, and the other six will be the captain's selections.
The Europeans, on the other hand, will call up the three top-ranked golfers in the world ranking and the three top-ranked golfers in the European ranking. The remaining six will be nominated by the captain.