Ten years after making his professional debut at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Adrian Meronk became a five-time DP World Tour winner after claiming an emotional victory at the Home of Golf.
The 33-year-old Pole fired a final round 68 on the Old Course, after rounds of 71, 66 and 63, to reach 20 under par on a windy Sunday in St Andrews and claim a two-shot win over Casey Jarvis and Niklas Nørgaard in the 25th anniversary of the tournament.
Meronk, who has been competing on the LIV Golf circuit for the past three years, began his final round two strokes back of overnight leader Jarvis, but immediately levelled the game with a birdie-birdie start.
He added a further gain at the fifth before another at the ninth, with two important par saves either side of a bogey at the seventh maintaining the belief around the turn. He found a fifth birdie at the 12th to gain the outright lead, picking up another shot two holes later to give himself a handy cushion.
A bogey at his penultimate hole, which reduced the lead to two with one to play, momentarily left the door ajar, but a closing par alongside a bogey from Jarvis in the group behind was enough to secure the win at the same tournament he made his first professional start ten years ago.
DREAM COME TRUE
Meronk, who moved to 38th on the Race to Dubai rankings, and retains his tour status for next year, said: “I never usually cry, but to win here after ten years after turning pro, it’s a dream come true. I’m extremely happy.”
He added: “To be sitting here now with that trophy just shows you how quick it can change. Golf is such a strange sport. One day, you know, you’re fighting for life, and then you win one of the biggest tournaments on tour.”
Meronk also became the third player in the 25-year history of the Dunhill Links to win both the individual and team championship, having combined with Tom Chaplin, the 47-year-old lead singer of rock band Keane, to triumph with a combined score of 41-under-par over four rounds.