Claims that Adrian Meronk and Jason Day were set to follow Jon Rahm to LIV Golf have been dismissed, with the Pole confirming his PGA Tour membership on Wednesday.
Adrian Mellonk, who cruelly missed out on a spot on Europe’s Ryder Cup winning team earlier this year, has denied speculation about a move to LIV Golf.
His pole position was to follow reigning Masters champion Jon Rahm on the Saudi-backed circuit, but Melonk has announced that he has accepted a PGA Tour card for the 2024 season, putting his own future at risk. I checked it thoroughly. The 30-year-old finished fourth in this year’s DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai behind Rory McIlroy, Nikolai Hejgaard and Lahm, earning him a card in the United States for next season.
However, on Tuesday night a report in the Telegraph suggested that not only Lahm, but also Melonk and the former world number one could move to LIV in a deal worth around £450 million. It seemed uncertain whether he would accept the invitation as Jason’s day continued.
“Looking forward to the next chapter,” Melonk posted on Instagram Wednesday along with an image showing his PGA Tour membership card in his cell phone wallet.
Conflicting reports about Day’s future have also surfaced since the Telegraph article, with Australian Golf Digest reporting that the 2015 PGA Championship winner (whose career has been hampered by vertigo in recent years) will play in 2024. He insists he will play on the PGA Tour.
Melonk’s profile in the United States is limited, but his involvement is a welcome boost for the PGA Tour amid speculation about Rahm’s possible departure. The Spaniard has remained silent amid the uproar over his future after players such as Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau joined the breakaway league that was created in 2022. There are concerns that it could trigger a second wave of outflows to LIV.
Melonk had a very impressive 2023 season, winning the Italian Open and the Andalusia Masters, rising to 48th in the Official World Golf Rankings and preparing for the Ryder Cup selection, which will pit Europe against the US in Rome in September.
Melonk, the first Polish player to win on the DP World Tour, narrowly missed out on the automatic selection based on points classification and was also missed out on being selected as captain by Luke Donald, but ultimately won against Marko 16.5-11.5. Justified Simone Golf & Country club.
The news was a huge blow to Meronk, but if his form continues to trend in the same direction it appears inevitable he will be part of the 12-man European team teeing it up at Bethpage Black in 2025.
Meronk is a pioneer for Polish golf, becoming the first player from his country to make the cut at a PGA Tour event at the Genesis Invitational earlier this year. His announcement video included a message from countryman Jerzy Dudek, the former Liverpool Champions League-winning goalkeeper, who said: “We are very proud of you. Enjoy every single moment and all the best.”