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Gulf News recently caught up with 29 year-old Dubai resident Polish Golfer Adrian Meronk, currently in 63rd in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) at Jumeirah Golf Estates prior to leaving for Korea to play on the DP World Tour and a season of global travel as a Professional Golfer

Adrian, when and where are you playing next?

I am now off to South Korea to play this week in the Korea Championship Presented by Genesis.

My schedule is then: DS Automobiles Italian Open at Marco Simone GC in Rome, home to this year’s Ryder Cup, the US PGA Championship in the States and then back to Europe for the KLM Open.

Then the US Open, then the Betfred British Masters at The Belfry, the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Liverpool, the final major of the year in July.

Then I will pause, see where I am in the world of golf, and review my second half of the season schedule with my team. I probably will not be back in Dubai until October. It is going to be an important and very busy year ahead for me.

What are your golfing targets for 2023?

My target this year is to get my PGA Tour Card, hopefully by being in the Top 10 in the Race to Dubai Rankings at the end of the year and to get into the Top 50 in the OWGR on a consistent and sustainable basis.

I am currently 12th in the 2022 – 2023 Roadto Dubai Rankings, but the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm already have their PGA Cards, so do not count in the Top 10 stats.

I played in The Masters earlier this month and am eligible in 2023 to play in all four majors for the first time in my career.

Also, I am targeting the Ryder Cup. I enjoyed the experience of playing in the HERO Cup in January at Abu Dhabi Golf Club and have met all the Captains, Vice-Captains and ex-Captains and, of course, all the potential Team Europe players.

How have you enjoyed playing on the PGA Tour?

Adrian: I like playing in the US, I am very comfortable in the surroundings, I love the golf courses and the crowds. It has always been my ambition to compete with the best players in the world.

This year I managed to get invites to play in three events on the PGA Tour; the Genesis Invitational, the Honda Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. My challenge is that I am playing all these courses for the first time, whereas my fellow competitors already know the challenges of the courses – where there are traditional and regular host venues.

My girlfriend is taking her Masters in Dubai at University and travels with me when I can which also makes it easier for me.

How have you settled down in Dubai?

I am applying for my Dubai Golden VISA.

I now have had my winter base in Dubai for two years.

I love it here; the golf courses and practice facilities, location, the weather and the people. I have been made very welcome and as long as I am playing professional golf, I do not see me wintering anywhere else.

How is golf in Poland going?

My fellow Pole and good friend Mateusz Gradecki is now climbing the golfing ladder.

He is currently 94th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings on the Challenge Tour and has won once – the 2022 Limpopo Championship in South Africa. He missed out on his 2023 DP World Tour card by just one place, he finished 21st, when 20 players gain promotion.

We grew up together. He is a year younger than me.

We first met when we were both caddying for our mothers in a Polish ladies’ national event – when I was 12 and he was 11 years-old.

We went to US College together - now he is on the Challenge Tour. I wish him well this week at Abu Dhabi Golf Club.

I was the first Polish golfer to turn Pro after college, first to qualify for the Challenge Tour and progress to the DP World Tour and hopefully onto the PGA Tour.

There are a few Polish golfers in the States and we look forward to seeing their progress.

I hope that Poland is seeing the impact of us playing around the world on all the Tours and this is translating to a growth in junior golf and at all levels.