Why do some sportspeople produce their very best when the pressure is at its highest?
Adrian Meronk arrived at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship needing a big result – and left St Andrews as the champion.
In this episode of For the Love of Golf, Iona Stephen and Dan Walker look at the mindset behind performing when the stakes are enormous. Did Meronk have to overcome the pressure at St Andrews – or did knowing just how much was riding on the week actually help him find another level?
For Meronk, it was also a remarkable full-circle moment. Ten years after turning professional at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, he returned to win on the Old Course – and Iona was there to interview him in the emotional moments immediately after his victory.
Dan and Iona discuss what separates elite performers when everything is on the line, whether pressure can become a source of motivation rather than fear, and their own experiences of moments when they simply had to deliver.
Iona also takes us behind the scenes of a memorable Dunhill week in St Andrews – from Kelly Slater surfing at East Sands to a singalong with Ronan Keating and some of her favourite moments from around the Home of Golf.
PLUS… Golf Dogs returns! This week we meet Yogi at Sunningdale, Fernie at Royal Troon, ball-retrieving Alf and Cruz hunting for lost balls at Royal Porthcawl.
Remember, this is your golf club too. Get into the comments and tell us: do you perform better or worse under pressure?
Subscribe to For the Love of Golf on YouTube so you don’t miss an episode, and follow us on social for more from Dan and Iona throughout the week.
New episodes every week.
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🎶 Music courtesy of BMG Production Music
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