Italian Open: Adrian Meronk's win on Ryder Cup course puts him in European running to face US

The 18th hole at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club promises to serve up more drama in September

It has been a bruising period for the Ryder Cup with the recent resignations of LIV stars Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia from the DP World Tour.

While it was unlikely any of that illustrious trio would have made it into Luke Donald's team for this September's match in Rome, it is undoubtedly dispiriting that such illustrious figures cannot be part of future European efforts.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of LIV's Saudi Arabia funded incursion into professional golf, the fact that it is having such an impact on the game's best loved match must sadden many European golf fans.

And with more heavy punishments predicted from the DP World Tour for those players who defied the refusal of waivers to play LIV events, there may be other top European names walking away from the circuit where they made their names.

But, despite last week's tumult overshadowing an Italian Open staged on the same course that will hold this year's Ryder Cup, the continued allure of the biennial contest against the United States remained palpable.

A replica of the famous gold trophy sat proudly in the spectator village, while the huge pale blue seated grandstand that surrounds two sides of the first tee is already in place.

Admittedly, with the emphasis of the golf season centred on the US, most of the field at Marco Simone were a strata below those jousting for places in Donald's team this autumn.

But the eventual winner, Poland's Adrian Meronk, is one of those entitled to wonder whether he will be part of Europe's effort to win back the trophy in September.

This was the 29-year-old's third national title since July, having sprinted to victory at the Irish Open before beating Adam Scott by five strokes to claim the Australian Open in December last year.

Since then Meronk has become the first Pole to play the Masters and next week completes a full set of major appearances at the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester, New York.

The tall Pole appears just the sort of character Donald would want in his side. He is motivated, analytical and talented.

"Yeah it (the Ryder Cup) is definitely on my mind," Meronk told BBC Sport before his Roman victory last week. "But I don't want to get ahead of myself.

"Just focus on each week, each day and if I play well enough throughout the season I'll be in the team. The focus is really on doing my things and getting better each day."

The mantra worked to a tee last Sunday, with a final-round 69 that provided a one-shot win in a tournament where he justified his billing as the highest ranked player in the field.

Now Meronk sits at a career high 46 in the world standings at a time when it is increasingly difficult for DP World Tour players to force their way into that all important top 50.

"It's been nice," Meronk added. "Last year was really big for me and it opened a lot of doors. It's the first year for me playing all of the majors.

"I spent some time in the States playing my first Masters and a couple of PGA Tour events and I really enjoyed it."

Rounds of 73 and 76 on his Augusta debut meant that Meronk missed the Masters cut by two shots. He also went home early from the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

Finishing 14th at the Honda Classic is his best PGA Tour return this year, but he is one of an ever growing number of Europeans who wants his future stateside. "I really see myself over there," he said.

"I'll do anything possible to get my card and play over there. To be able to play all the majors is huge for me in terms of getting out of my comfort zone and growing my game and getting better.

"So I'm really excited for this year. I'm going to the US for my first PGA Championship and then a few weeks after that the US Open and then The Open so I'm obviously trying to get my form ready for this big three months.

"But it is always hard to do. So I'm just working hard on my game and hopefully it will be well timed."

Meronk is reaping rewards from a lonely start to the game. Born in Hamburg, he was brought up in Poland where developing his game was not straightforward.

"I'm the first one, to be honest, and I've kind of had to do it by myself," he said. "I didn't have any role models, so its always a little more difficult.

"I didn't have anyone to talk about it so it was a little more challenging. But I'm glad to be the first. Someone had to be the first one."

Meronk also benefitted from four years at East Tennessee State University where, through NCAA competition, he could measure himself against his best contemporaries.

"I spent a great time in the US in college and that gave me a lot of learning about my game and how to keep going forward," Meronk revealed.

"And I played a lot with guys like Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas and that helped grow my game and keep me going."

After his recent win at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Meronk described it as a "solid statement" with regard to qualifying for the Ryder Cup team.

He likes the course, he was runner up there in 2021, and has caught the captain's eye. "Superb win," Donald tweeted.

"Some solid golf played all week and came up with the right shots when he needed them most, starting to make winning a habit. Well done Adrian."

Meronk told me: "Ryder Cup would be a dream come true. You can taste a little bit of it this week with the grandstand going up and the course pretty much set up as it is going to be in September.

"Yes, it would be a dream come true and I will do everything I can to get on that team."