Meronk admits Ryder Cup snub fuelled LIV Golf move but makes plea to Donald
Adrian Meronk has admitted being left out of the 2023 European Ryder Cup team played in a part in his decision to make the move to LIV Golf.
Meronk became one of LIV's latest signings earlier this month, following in the footsteps of fellow European stars Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. The Pole had announced himself as one of his continent's top players on the DP World Tour in 2023, earning a spot on the PGA Tour for the following year.
His impressive form was not enough to earn him a Ryder Cup call-up though, as captain, Luke Donald opted to leave the 30-year-old out of his 12-man team in Rome.
READ MORE: Cam Smith shuts down PGA Tour return despite being welcomed back by Rory McIlroy
And it appears the Team Europe snub helped him make a decision when being offered a mega-money contract by LIV Golf. "I would probably not have come to LIV if I had played in the Ryder Cup,” Meronk told the Daily Telegraph ahead of LIV Golf Las Vegas.
Bubba Watson shares details of horror knee injury ahead of LIV Golf debut
"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.
Adrian Meronk missed out on a Ryder Cup spot last Autumn (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)"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 Pole is not alone, with both Rahm and Hatton - two of Europe's most important players - also now pledging their loyalties to the LIV circuit. Captain Donald however has reminded the European LIV stars that as long as they follow the eligibility criteria, they still have a chance of playing in the 2025 Ryder Cup.
"Even going back to last year, there was a couple of guys playing on LIV that maintained their membership and I kept an eye on everyone that was eligible for me to be able to pick,” Donald said at this week's Waste Management Phoenix Open.
"I’m sure Jon, I’m sure Tyrrell, they want to be a part of it and they will hopefully adhere to whatever the rules are that allows them to play in the Ryder Cup.”
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
