Adrian Meronk and Marcel Siem tee up chance of Ryder Cup boost in Munich

Both standing at the north side of six feet, they’d make good back ups for Lyndon Dykes as Scotland bid to keep the foot to the floor following a sensational start to the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

Adrian Meronk plays his second shot on the 14th hole during day two of the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in Germany. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

For Adrian Meronk and Marcel Siem, though, all roads currently lead to a Ryder Cup in Italy and not the finals of a major football tournament in Germany.

The duo both sit handily-placed, just four shots off the lead, heading into the final two rounds of the BMW International Open at Golfclub München Eichenried.

Meronk, in particular, is a strong contender for Luke Donald’s team for September’s showdown with the Americans at Marco Simone Golf Club on the outskirts of Rome.

Home player Marcel Siem talks with European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald during the BMW International Open after being put in same group at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

The Pole has landed three wins on the DP World Tour in the last 12 months, including this year’s DS Automobiles Open on the Ryder Cup course, having also finished joint-second there in 2021.

He’s currently just outside one of the six automatic spots but a couple of more big finishes over the next couple of months and it will almost certainly be mission accomplished for the man who holed the winning putt for Continental Europe in the inaugural Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi in January.

“Everyone is talking about it obviously,” said Meronk of his bid to create another slice of history as the first Pole to play in a Ryder Cup. “But, for me, it’s just about focusing on each tournament and I know that if I play as I have been over the last year, then it should be enough.

“Occasionally I look (at the points list), yeah, especially when I have a good week. In the KLM (Open), I finished fifth and I looked at the rankings to check where I was to see if I had improved. I like to know where I stand.”

By his own admission, Siem’s chances of joining forces with the likes of Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland in the battle to be golfing gladiators in the Italian capital are slimmer. But, having returned to winning ways on the main circuit after a spell on the Challenge Tour, the charismatic German has earned the right to be on Donald’s radar, as evidenced by the fact he was in the same group as the European captain for the first two rounds this week.

“I feel very honoured first of all,” said Siem of that decision by Donald, with in-form Pablo Larrazabal making up the three-ball. “I think I have done a good job getting into these bigger circles shall we say. But there’s loads of players in there. We are talking about 30-40 players, so we shouldn’t put too much into it.

“I actually don’t want to think about the Ryder Cup too much, to be honest. But I am quite happy how I played and I have shown him I can live under pressure maybe in a home tournament.”

Meronk’s bid to be in Rome is being steered by Stuart Beck, a Scot who gave up a prosperous job in the finance world to become a full-time caddie. “We’ve been working well together and he’s getting better as well as we progress in the rankings,” said Meronk. “It is very encouraging and I like working with him. He keeps me committed.”