MacIntyre and Meronk targeting top 50 in the world

Robert MacIntyre and Adrian Meronk are hoping to use the next two weeks to secure their top 50 spots in the Official World Golf Ranking and their places in next year's Masters Tournament.

Meronk, who is making his 100th Tour start just days after securing the top PGA Tour card via his place on the Race to Dubai Rankings following the DP World Tour Championship, is back in action this week in Australia with one goal in mind.

The 30 year old, who earned three victories on the DP World Tour last season, made his Masters debut earlier this year and knows that if he can stay inside the top 50 in the Official Golf World Ranking by the end of the year, a second appearance is guaranteed in 2024.

"It is, like last year, it’s definitely on my mind," said Meronk, who is currently World Number 48.

"That’s my main goal for the rest of the year, to finish inside top 50 for sure."

The Polish player, whose best Major finish to date was a tie for 23rd at this year's 141st Open, is hoping to solidify his position in the rankings by continuing the form that helped him to his best season yet when he tees up for his milestone appearance at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship.

It comes seven years on from playing his first event as a professional golfer, and Meronk admits that making his 100th appearance on Tour this week is a special one.

"It’s very special to be honest," said the four time DP World Tour winner.

"If I look back last four years on Tour were great for me. Every year I’ve been progressing and improving my ranking, getting Ws all over the world, so it’s been an amazing ride and I know it’s only the beginning for me. But it feels like I’ve been on Tour for quite the while now and I have a lot of great memories and good experience to go forward. So I’m very excited to be in that position.

"My very first event was an invite at Alfred Dunhill Championship in Scotland in 2016. I remember I just turned pro and I was super nervous. Played with Danny Willett on Sunday and yeah, I just remember it was just a cool experience. A lot of new challenges for me, but I remember I was very nervous. But I’ve come a long way from there."

While not hitting a milestone this week, Robert MacIntyre is similarly trying to use the next two weeks in Australia to give himself his own chance at another Masters appearance.

In two starts, MacIntyre has finished tied 12th (2021) and tied 23rd (2022) in the Masters, but missed out on a third consecutive appearance earlier this year.

It's something the Scot, who also gained his PGA Tour card via the Race to Dubai Rankings last week, is trying to make sure doesn't happen again. Currently 56th in the Official World Golf Ranking, MacIntyre has his eyes firmly set on victory, having being disappointed with recent finishes in Qatar and at the DP World Tour Championship.

"I’m chasing top 50 in the world," he said.

"If I can achieve that in the next two weeks I get in The Masters come April, so, I’ve got a lot to play for. There’s a lot on the line and I also get to see some family within that. For me, the biggest thing is getting to Augusta come April.

"I had a great opportunity in Qatar four weeks ago, I had a great opportunity in Dubai last week and I didn’t finish the way I wanted to. My wedge play has been, to be honest with you, abysmal. Last week on Sunday I dropped four shots inside 140 yards, on the Sunday. There’s four shots, there’s eight World Ranking points, there’s took me up to say 52nd in the world. It’s such fine margins. It’s such small games and for me, I feel like it’s from that 110 to 150 yards is where I’ll make my most gain if I can sort that out, I think I’ll be fine. It’s not that I hit bad, bad shots, it’s just I don’t hit the numbers well enough. We’re trying out a couple of things this week to try and help with that.

"For me it’s plain and simple – win a golf tournament. It’s no – I think if I win this week it’ll be very close. I’m not sure, I’ve not seen what the world ranking points are going to be, but I’m sure it’s – I mean, it should be more than 10. It should be, I’m guessing, 14, 15 with the new structure, 14, 15 with the new structure, which isn’t much, but it would be enough to get across that line."

Elaborating further on his desire to be at the first Major of 2024, MacIntyre says he believes that once making it over the hurdle to get there, Augusta National is a course that not only he has always dreamt of winning at, but one where he thinks he can.

"I’ve played it twice now and finished something like 12th and 25th and I see it in my eyes. It’s a dream that’s – one of my life goals was to play the Ryder Cup and win the Ryder Cup. I achieved that. I’ve got another few goals, but one of them is win a green jacket and I think I can do it. People around me think I can do it. The hardest part’s getting there. Once you get there, you’ve got every chance of doing it. Yeah, it would be a lifelong dream."

Asked if he thinks Augusta National suits left-handed players like him, MacIntyre replied "100 per cent."

"There’s one of these when I go back to Augusta, because I feel like the odds are stacked with you more than against you. The majority of golf courses I feel are designed by ex-right-handed golfers, so the way they shape the greens are almost the opposite of Augusta. The way the greens are shaped for approach shots, normally it goes short right to long left with a trouble on the left. Where a pull short for a righty goes longer, you catch the back edge of the green, whereas a left-hander if they hit it left, it’s short, it’s in the water.

"So there’s a lot of stuff, different golf courses, for me, sometimes it depends on the designer of what golf courses suit me and so be it. You’ve just got to back up and get on with it."