Adrian Meronk could not catch a break this week. First, he missed the cut at the BMW PGA Championship, finishing two over par. The Pole then booked a flight with Lufthansa, most probably to head home. He likely hoped that the trip would give him a chance to breathe and reset. Instead, that’s when things went from bad to worse.

Looks like Lufthansa, true to its old habits, has once again managed to mess things up for a customer. Adrian Meronk took to his Instagram story to share his frustration, writing: “Do you know anyone at Lufthansa? I lost my luggage with my gear for playing, and I really need it — please help.”

This isn’t the first time Lufthansa has found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Over the years, the reputed German airline has faced plenty of complaints about delayed or misplaced luggage. In fact, a report ranked Lufthansa fifth in Europe for baggage loss and delays. Just last year, the airline had to cough up $1,699 in compensation to an Indian couple for losing their bags. And now, Meronk has become the latest victim.

But here’s the thing — compensation might not even matter much to Meronk, because his gear is worth thousands of dollars. He uses drivers and wedges from Ping and Titleist, with the most expensive piece in his bag likely being the Ping G430 Max driver, which alone costs around $547. This equipment is crucial for him, especially since Meronk is known for his driving distance and accuracy.

The timing, though, couldn’t have been worse. While he’s found success on the LIV side — winning in Riyadh and collecting several top-10 finishes — his DP World Tour form has been shaky. He’s already missed cuts at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and the Amgen Irish Open, and Wentworth just added to the list.

For Meronk, making a strong statement on the DPWT is important. The way he left the tour for LIV was already a bit controversial, and performances like these don’t help his case. Back in 2023, he was in peak form and widely expected to earn a Ryder Cup spot, but Luke Donald snubbed him. Days later, he announced his move to the Saudi-backed league, openly admitting that the Ryder Cup omission was a key factor. That’s why he needs to shine on the European stage. But this year, and at the BMW PGA Championship too, he just hasn’t been able to deliver. Lufthansa only made things worse.

And this isn’t the first time the airline has mishandled the luggage of a prominent player. In 2023m well-known poker pro Steve O’Dwyer accused Lufthansa of losing his bag while he was en route to a tournament. He even tracked it with an Apple AirTag, proving it had been sitting at Heathrow for weeks, yet the airline still failed to return it. “You messed with the wrong passenger, and now I am determined to trash @lufthansa every chance I get,” he wrote on Twitter.

Interestingly, Meronk’s case isn’t the only one. Turns out, there have been several cases of golfers losing their baggage with airlines.

When airlines lose the clubs

Golfers are no strangers to heartbreak on the course, but sometimes the real trouble starts in the air. Russell Henley learned that the hard way back in 2015 when he landed in Augusta for the Masters only to discover his clubs hadn’t landed with him. The same had happened with Rory McIlroy before the Irish Open. His clubs went missing thanks to the same airlines (United Airlines), but he was lucky enough to get them the very next day.

Fast forward a few years, and the list of pros caught in baggage limbo kept growing. Mackenzie Hughes and his family lost a staggering eight bags flying into Dublin in 2022, while Keith Mitchell, Viktor Hovland, and Jonattan Vegas all dealt with delays or complete no-shows around the Scottish Open. Hovland had to get an entirely new set of PING clubs built.

Then there are your nightmare coming true cases as well. In 2023, Alabama mini-tour pro Wesley Hunter got his worst fears confirmed after a flight from Denver. His bag looked like it had been through a bonfire – the drivers were snapped, the wedges wrecked, and the travel cover shredded.

These cases, hence, are way more normal than you think. Have you had any such experience with an airline? Do let us know in the comments below.