| Mateusz Gradecki | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | 4 June 1994 Trzebnica, Poland |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Sporting nationality |  Poland |
| Career | |
| College | East Tennessee State University |
| Turned professional | 2018 |
| Current tour(s) | Challenge Tour |
| Former tour(s) | Pro Golf Tour |
| Professional wins | 4 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| Sunshine Tour | 1 |
| Challenge Tour | 1 |
| Other | 3 |
Mateusz Gradecki (born 4 June 1994) is a Polish professional golfer who plays on the Challenge Tour. He won the 2022 Limpopo Championship, becoming the first Sunshine Tour winner and only the second Challenge Tour winner to hail from Poland.[1]
Amateur career
Gradecki was born in Trzebnica and grew up in Oborniki Śląskie. His father Krzysztof owned the Eko supermarket chain and has been featured on lists of the 100 richest Poles. He also built the Gradi Golf Club in Brzeźno, where his son practices.[2] Gradecki attended East Tennessee State University from 2013 to 2017 and played with the East Tennessee State Buccaneers men's golf team alongside compatriot Adrian Meronk.[3]
Gradecki represented Poland in the Eisenhower Trophy in 2012, 2014 and 2016. He won the Polish Amateur five times and finished third at the 2017 Wrocław Open.[4]
Professional career
Gradecki turned professional early 2018 and joined the Pro Golf Tour. In September, he won the New Golf Club Matchplay Championship in Germany and finished fifth in the Order of Merit to get promotion to the Challenge Tour. He had a disappointing rookie season and made only four cuts. Back on the Pro Golf Tour, he won the 2019 Open Prestigia and the 2021 Red Sea Egyptian Classic.
On the Challenge Tour again for the 2021 season, he finished 68th in the Challenge Tour Order of Merit to keep his card, after recording several top-10 finishes including a season best of tied 6th at the Sydbank Esbjerg Challenge.
In April 2022, Gradecki won the co-sanctioned Limpopo Championship in South Africa to become the first Pole to win on the Sunshine Tour, and only the second Challenge Tour winner to hail from Poland, after Adrian Meronk.[1] In July, he lost a playoff at the German Challenge to Alejandro del Rey of Spain, who won with a birdie at the second playoff hole.[5]
Amateur wins
- 2011 Polish Amateur
- 2012 Polish Amateur
- 2013 Polish Amateur
- 2014 Faldo Series Poland
- 2015 Polish Amateur
- 2016 Polish Amateur
- 2017 MVK Turkish International Amateur Open Championship
Professional wins (4)
Sunshine Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Apr 2022 | Limpopo Championship1 | −19 (68-68-67-66=269) | 3 strokes |  Hennie du Plessis |
1Co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour
Challenge Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Apr 2022 | Limpopo Championship1 | −19 (68-68-67-66=269) | 3 strokes | Hennie du Plessis |
1Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour
Challenge Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022 | Big Green Egg German Challenge |  Alejandro del Rey |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
Pro Golf Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 Sep 2018 | New Golf Club Matchplay Championship | 1 up |  Baptiste Achard | |
| 2 | 4 Feb 2019 | Open Prestigia | −14 (69-66-67=202) | 1 stroke |  Allen John, Hurly Long |
| 3 | 15 Apr 2021 | Red Sea Egyptian Classic | −12 (66-70-68=204) | 2 strokes |  Mike Toorop |
Team appearances
Amateur
- European Boys' Team Championship (representing Poland): 2009[7]
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Poland): 2012, 2014, 2016
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing Poland): 2015
Professional
- European Championships (representing Poland): 2018
References
- 1 2 "Gradecki seals maiden Challenge Tour title in Limpopo". European Tour. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ↑ Guder, Jakub (14 August 2014). "Golf. Wielkie talenty z Wrocławia lekcje biorą u najlepszych - w USA" [Golf. Great talents from Wroclaw take lessons from the best - in the USA]. Gazeta Wrocławska (in Polish). Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- 1 2 "Mateusz Gradecki". East Tennessee State Buccaneers. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ↑ "2017 Wroclaw Open". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ↑ "Del Rey claims play-off glory in Germany". European Tour. 24 July 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ↑ "Mateusz Gradecki". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
- ↑ "European Boys' Team Championship – European Golf Association". Retrieved 22 January 2023.
External links
- Official website
- Mateusz Gradecki at the European Tour official site
- Mateusz Gradecki at the Official World Golf Ranking official site