Adrian Meronk was left out of the European Ryder Cup team following the 2023 event last Autumn, and just four months later he opted to make the move to LIV Golf.
Adrian Meronk acknowledged that his exclusion from the 2023 European Ryder Cup team influenced his choice to join LIV Golf.
Earlier this month, Meronk joined LIV as one of their recent acquisitions, joining the ranks of European golfers Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Meronk had already established himself as one of the top players in Europe during the 2023 DP World Tour, which led to him securing a place on the PGA Tour for the subsequent year.
Despite his outstanding performance, he was not selected for the Ryder Cup by captain Luke Donald. The 30-year-old player was excluded from the 12-man team in Rome.
The rejection from Team Europe seems to have influenced his decision to accept a lucrative contract from LIV Golf. Meronk stated that he would likely not have joined LIV Golf if he had participated in the Ryder Cup, according to his interview with the Daily Telegraph prior to LIV Golf Las Vegas.
“What happened definitely made my choice easier. You know, what I went through just made it easier to care more about myself and not care what other people think of me, or what other people want me to do. What happened with the Ryder Cup just opened my eyes as to how everything works.”
Despite being left unimpressed with Donald, the big-hitting Pole did admit he still hoped to make a Ryder Cup team one day, with the Englishman once again captaining the Europeans at next year’s event at Bethpage Black. “Obviously, I didn’t like how I was treated last time, but if it’s possible to play in the Ryder Cup and if I’m good enough, I would love to be on the team,” he added
I will just work hard on my game, perform at my best and see what can happen.” If he is to pay his fines issued by the DP World Tour for competing in LIV events and keep hold of his Tour membership, Meronk will remain eligible to compete for Team Europe in the USA next year.
The Polish golfer is not the only one, as Rahm and Hatton, who are considered two of Europe’s top players, have also committed to the LIV circuit.
Nonetheless, Captain Donald has emphasized to the European LIV stars that if they meet the requirements, they still have an opportunity to participate in the 2025 Ryder Cup. “At this week’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, Donald mentioned that since last year, he had been observing a couple of individuals from the LIV team who continued their membership, and he monitored all the eligible players to consider them for selection.”
“I am confident that Jon, and Tyrrell also share the desire to participate in the Ryder Cup and will hopefully comply with the necessary regulations in order to be eligible for the tournament.”