Team Europe captain Luke Donald set to ditch Adrian Meronk from his final Ryder Cup team - Reports
The captain of the European Ryder Cup team, Luke Donald, will be announcing his selections in less than 24 hours. But the news and rumors about it are already shaking the golf world to its very foundations.
According to NUCLR GOLF media, citing Handicap 54 media, Poland's Adrian Meronk is reportedly being excluded from the European captain's selections for the Ryder Cup. Handicap 54 has assured that the information reached him "from a very good source."
Handicap 54 stated that the player had already been informed that he would not be going to the Ryder Cup, as the European Ryder Cup captain himself had already phoned Meronk to inform him.
If this information is confirmed tomorrow, it would be one of the most shocking news in the whole Ryder Cup process. Meronk was one of the favorites to defend Europe at the Italian Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.
Since winning the Italian Open last May, the majority opinion has been that Meronk was ready to attend the event. Renowned analyst and former professional player, Rob Lee, stated the following at the time, according to 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."
The European team already has its six directly qualified players: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert Macintyre. Adrian Meronk is one of the top-ranked players in the European ranking, after the three direct qualified.
Adrian Meronk's performances in the lead-up to the 2023 Ryder Cup
The current season has been very successful for Adrian Meronk. In addition to winning the Italian Open in May, the Pole also won the 2022 Australian Open in December. These were his second and third victories on the DP World Tour (the first he had won at the Irish Open the previous season).
In addition, he earned a third place and three other Top 10s, as well as making the cut in 14 of the 18 tournaments he played. He participated in the four Majors of the season and was not cut in any of them, his best result being T23 in The Open Championship.
Currently, Meronk is third in the DP World Tour ranking and 52nd in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).
In addition to Adrian Meronk, the players with the best chances of receiving the captain's call are Yannik Paul, Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Victor Perez, Rasmus Hojgaard, Adrian Otaegui, and Ludvig Aberg.