Dubai-based Adrian Meronk (Pol), currently 55th in the Official World Golf Ranking, is playing this week in the $20 million WGC - DELL Technologies Matchplay in Austin Texas.
Meronk, 29 years-old is making his debut in this qualifying event having received invites recently for The Genesis Invitational, The Honda Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational where he finished tied 45th, tied 14th and missed the cut, respectively, to earn $196.060 from these three PGA Tour events this season.
He was in Dubai last week practising at The Els Club and Trump International and flew to the US on Saturday.
The defending champion this week is World Number One Scottie Scheffler who is originally from Texas.
Justin Suh at No 77 in the OWGR is the last man in the field with Justin Thomas and Justin Rose deciding to skip this week, as well as those on the LIV Golf Tour in the OWGR not being eligible.
The format was amended in 2016 from a 64 straight knockout bracket-style to an event beginning with 16 groups of four players in round-robin play leading to 16 group winners who advance into a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament to determine a winner.
Meronk is in group 10 along with Tony Finau (12), Kurt Kitiyama (23) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (55).
18-hole matches
In these 18-hole matches, three outcomes are possible: win, loss or 18-hole tie. If a player wins a match, they get a point. If they lose the match, they don’t get a point. If they tie or halve the match, they and their opponent each get a half-point. In the final day of round-robin play on Friday, matches which determine the group winner. If players are tied for the lead in a group after round-robin play, the WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay tiebreaker is a sudden-death playoff begins on the first hole as soon as possible.
The winners of each group then advance into a single-elimination, bracket-style competition on Saturday with 18-hole matches:
Group 1 winner vs. Group 16 winner
Group 8 winner vs. Group 9 winner
Group 4 winner vs. Group 13 winner
Group 5 winner vs. Group 12 winner
Group 6 winner vs. Group 11 winner
Group 3 winner vs. Group 14 winner
Group 7 winner vs. Group 10 winner
Group 2 winner vs. Group 15 winner
There must be a winner in each of these matches. From there, the bracket takes over, determining next matchups until a champion is crowned on Sunday afternoon in an 18-hole finish, and a third and fourth-place finisher is decided by a consolation match.
To win this week the champion will play and win seven matches. The winner’s share will be $3.6 million.
