There’s many who share Adrian Mernonk’s ‘shock, sadness and anger’ in being overlooked for the European Ryder Cup team.

Meronk looked almost certain to earn a Luke Donald ‘wildcard’ pick had Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg not sensationally muscled his way to victory in last week’s Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

The 23-year-0ld Aberg clearly forced Donald into selecting him and become the quickest player in European Ryder Cup history to earn a European Team cap since turning pro.

Donald revealed on Monday soon after announcing his six ‘wildcard’ picks that he phoned 25 players and with some 17 of those to advise he would not be taking them to Rome later this month.

Adrian Meronk – winner of the 2023 Italian Open on the Ryder Cup host Marco Simone course – but the Pole will not be returning in a few weeks time

Meronk was among those Donald called and he has every right to feel hard done by.  He captured three national Open titles from July last year to May this year, including the Italian Open on the Ryder Cup host Marco Simone course, and is also this week’s Horizon Irish Open defending champion at the K. Club.

The Poland golfer was also had two top-10 showings earlier this year at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Ras Al Khaimah Championship while he was fifth at the KLM Open and third at the BMW International Open, and apart one from poor round last week at Crans-sur-Sierre was in contention for victory high in the Swiss Alps.

What I find also important, and has been overlooked in the make-up of Donald’s team, is that Meronk stayed totally loyal to the DP World Tour electing to support the Tour by contesting some two-dozen events, and all but three in the US, and when the current World No. 51 could have taken his game to the PGA Tour like all but two or three players heading to Rome.

No, Meronk remained in Europe in order to seek his hopeful place in the European Ryder Cup side, and this loyality or whatever you like to call it, I find has been overlooked.

If I was Meronk, I also would be in shock and I’d be sad and also angry in being over-looked.

“I heard from Luke and that it was tough for him as well, but to be honest when he said I’m not going I kind of stopped listening,” Meronk said.

“He was saying that someone has to stay home, it was close and stuff like that. I wouldn’t want to be in his position, but it was a big shock.

“It’s been an emotional time for me to be honest, from shock to sadness to anger and now I’m trying to turn it into motivation going into this week.

“Obviously it’s a hard one to swallow. I thought I’d done enough to be on that team, but it is what it is. I wish them good luck and I will just focus on my game and move forward.”

Brave words from Meronk and here’s hoping he will qualify automatically in two years time and put to rest his bitter Rome disappointment.