Andy DevaneyAdrian Meronk had waited 1,078 days for another DP World Tour victory. In the end, he found it at the place where the professional journey had started ten years earlier.
The Pole won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews by two shots, closing with a four-under-par 68 to reach 20 under and finish clear of Casey Jarvis and Niklas Nørgaard.
It was Meronk’s fifth DP World Tour title, but the numbers only told half the story. The other half arrived afterwards, when the usually composed 33-year-old found himself struggling to explain what the victory meant.
“It’s unreal. As I told you before, I never usually cry but this one feels really special. I’m sorry, I’m just lost for words. To win here after ten years, after turning pro, it’s a dream come true, and it’s unusual. I’m sorry, I’m at a loss for words but I’m extremely happy and relieved.”
For a golfer who had not won on the Tour since the 2023 Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters, relief was probably entitled to get a word in.
Meronk erases the deficit immediately
Meronk began Sunday two behind overnight leader Jarvis. That gap lasted all of two holes.
Birdies at the first and second put him level, and another at the fifth moved the round along nicely before his first real test arrived.
A bogey at the seventh might have interrupted the momentum, but important par saves either side of it kept his challenge intact. Meronk then birdied the ninth and reached the turn with the tournament very much in his hands.
In the sort of wind that can make the Old Course look less like golf’s grand old theatre and more like an elaborate argument with nature, patience mattered.
Meronk had prepared accordingly.
“I knew it’s going to be a tough day. We knew the course was going to be very windy. You know, I set up myself mentally yesterday with my psychologist for the day. I knew what to expect. I had a number in my head, what I have to shoot. To be honest I was quite close to that number but yeah, I’m super happy I played really solid golf.”
The decisive move comes on the back nine
The lead became Meronk’s alone with a birdie at the 12th.
Another at the 14th gave him the cushion every player wants and nobody at St Andrews entirely trusts. There are too many bunkers, too much wind and far too much history around the place for complete relaxation to be considered sensible.
A bogey at the 17th cut his advantage to two and offered Jarvis, playing behind him, a faint opening.
Meronk did what was required at the last.
After finding himself in a position he liked from the tee, he made par and began the familiar walk over the Swilcan Bridge knowing the tournament was almost his. Jarvis then bogeyed in the group behind.
Meronk admitted that the crossing carried a little more weight than usual.
“After my drive on 18, I was quite happy with the position I was in. I was just trying to enjoy the walk. It’s an amazing walk when you cross the bridge. You look around, the people, the history. Actually when I was crossing the bridge, I talked to myself. I was actually thinking about Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus walking on the bridge and I was asking for good energy from them. It was just a great feeling. I really enjoyed that.”
Apparently, the Old Course ghosts were in a cooperative mood.
A victory with rather more than a trophy attached
The win transformed Meronk’s position on the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by DP World, moving him from 141st to 38th.
More importantly for his immediate plans, it secured his DP World Tour status.
That had been the target for the remainder of the season. Winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship rather efficiently settled the matter.
“The goal for the rest of the season was to try to get my status for next year, and that helps me a lot. I’m super happy that I actually got that goal, but I will have to re-evaluate my goals for the rest of the season and see what happens, but I’ll do that tomorrow and then see what happens. I’m super happy and super grateful to be in that position.”
There are worse administrative problems to have than needing a fresh set of goals because you accidentally won.
Jarvis and Nørgaard share second as Stewart shines
Jarvis could not reproduce the scoring that had carried him into the final round lead. Three birdies were cancelled by three bogeys in a level-par 72, leaving him at 18 under.
He shared second with Nørgaard, whose closing 67 contained an eagle, four birdies and a solitary bogey.
Behind them came one of the week’s more popular performances.
Scotland’s Michael Stewart shot 66 to share fourth with Tommy Fleetwood, who produced the lowest round of Sunday with an eight-under-par 64. Stewart’s round included a hole-out eagle and continued a week that gave the 36-year-old fresh evidence that he can compete at this level.
“It’s hard to put into words. I was a little bit on autopilot at the end, the last three holes, especially. Amazing. Just delighted that I could sort of put up a good showcase of myself today.”
Defending champion Robert MacIntyre and Brooks Koepka finished another shot behind at 16 under.
Meronk completes the individual and team double
There was another distinction waiting for the champion.
Meronk became only the third player in the tournament’s 25-year history to win both the individual title and the Team Championship, partnering Tom Chaplin to victory at 41 under.
It made an already personal week rather tidier.
Ten years after making his first professional start at this tournament, Meronk returned to St Andrews needing points, status and the sort of result that had eluded him for nearly three years.
He left with two trophies, a fifth DP World Tour victory and no immediate need to wonder where next season will be played.
Not a bad way to cross the bridge.
