UK Preview: Meronk has Olympics on horizon as Cleeks prepare for UK event
ROCESTER, England – Cleeks GC's Adrian Meronk is in the middle of a very busy stretch of golf and he will have the 2024 Olympics on his mind while he and his team mates challenge for glory at this week's LIV Golf UK.
Fresh from a tie for 50th in last week's Open Championship at a windswept Royal Troon, Meronk is one of seven players in the LIV Golf UK field who will be competing next week in the men's golf competition at the Paris Games.
"The Olympics are very important for me," the 31-year-old Polish professional said while preparing for this week's tournament at JCB Golf & Country Club north of Birmingham. "I've been watching every single one since I was a kid.
"It's great to be part of it, to be representing Poland and sharing the experience of other athletes. I hope I will be in good shape and play my best golf. It would be my dream to win the medal."
Meronk feels he can only benefit from a hectic playing schedule of late which features LIV Golf Andalucia, the Open Championship, LIV Golf UK and the men's competition at the Olympic Games in successive weeks.
"I think it will be quite important to be playing this much golf," he said. "It's a busy stretch, but my golf game feels like it's progressing. I'm hitting the ball nicely. Hopefully I'll be in good shape for the Olympics."
Meronk, the 2023 DP World Tour Player of the Year, had mixed feelings over his results last week at Troon where the game's best players were fully tested by gusting crosswinds and periodic rain at a challenging venue.
"To be honest, I was quite disappointed at my score," he said, after closing with a 4-over 75 on Sunday. "I thought I played quite solid all week. I just left a lot of shots out there, especially on the greens. I was hoping for a better result."
Although it took Meronk a while to adjust to LIV Golf after joining the league at the start of this year, he now fully embraces the whole experience. He looks forward to a successful week in England for the Cleeks who have been playing top-quality golf during the last half of the season.
"It feels like we're bonding nicely from week to week," said Meronk, who finished second on the individual leaderboard at last month's LIV Golf Houston where the all-European team clinched their first-ever LIV Golf trophy.
"We've been playing some good golf, and I hope we can keep on going. The chemistry is really nice and it's been very enjoyable for me being a Cleek. I'm looking forward to this week and to the rest of the season."
This week at JCB Golf & Country Club will also be a big one for Cleeks veteran Richard Bland, who was born in nearby Burton upon Trent and has enjoyed a hugely successful 2024 campaign.
Not only has the 51-year-old Bland played his customary rock-steady golf for his team, but he has won twice this year in his first two starts in the over-50 ranks - at the Senior PGA Championship and Senior U.S. Open Championship.
"To play against Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, D.J. (Dustin Johnson), Brooks (Koepka), they're the best players in the world," said Bland, who ranks fourth in LIV Golf this season in GIR (72.04 percent) and 10th in driving accuracy (62.14 percent).
"If I'm going to compete with those guys, I have to bring my game. I have to. I can't bring my C game, and it won't stack up against those. It just elevates my game, and I think it's done that unbelievably over the last three years. It's just made me a better player. You're not always going to be playing your best golf, but I'm the best player I've ever been."
As for the transformation in fortunes for the Cleeks this season, highlighted by their team victory in Houston, Bland believes that more is yet to come.
"Our success in Houston just shows you the group of guys we've got, the team spirit, and what we're capable of," he said. "We're going to do this again."