PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Adrian Meronk is starting to feel like one of those European names American Ryder Cup fans should get to know.

The towering 29-year-old from Poland first flashed onto the global golf scene in the summer of 2021 when he qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, and he broke through last July when he became Poland’s first DP World Tour winner with his three-stroke triumph at the Irish Open.

He added a second European tour victory in December at the Australian Open and began his week at the Honda Classic, where he’s playing on a foreign player exemption, 53^rd in the world ranking and poised for another breakthrough.

If Meronk – who is currently tied for fourth at the Honda Classic following an opening 67 – cracks the top 50 in the world ranking following this week’s stop at PGA National, he’ll qualify for The Players Championship in two weeks.

“I just need to focus on my game, play well this week, and hopefully it's enough. I can't do much more than this, so hopefully it will be enough, and yeah, that would be amazing to play The Players for sure,” said Meronk, who needs to finish 13^th or better to move into the top 50, according to various projections.

But The Players is just one of many goals for Meronk in 2023. Thanks to his consistent play he’s moved himself into the hunt to qualify for this year’s European Ryder Cup team.

“That would be an amazing achievement for me, and it's always been also my goal to play in the Ryder Cup,” he said. “I know it's still a long time to go, but to be in this group of guys who are considered to be on the team, it's very special for me, and I'll do anything I can to make the team.”