LIV Golf rebel hits out at Luke Donald as Ryder Cup selection 'leaked'

04 September 2023 , 12:56

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Richard Bland has hit out at the selection of Shane Lowry for the Ryder Cup ahead of Adrian Meronk. (Image: AP)

Luke Donald names his Ryder Cup picks ahead of the showdown with the United States in Rome later this month and LIV golfer Richard Bland is unhappy with the imminent selection of Shane Lowry.

Bland claimed in an Instagram post on Monday that Poland's Adrian Meronk is set to miss out on one of the six captain's picks for the event at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club from September 29 to October 1.

"Hearing Adrian Meronk (is) not getting picked," Englishman Bland posted with a thumbs-down emoji. "Wins (the) Italian Open at the Ryder Cup course, third in DP World rankings! Deserves a pick over an out-of-form Lowry in my opinion!"

Europe captain Donald is set to name his team six picks for the Ryder Cup at 2pm on Monday. Rory McIlroy, John Rahm, Viktor Hovland, Tyrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntrye have already qualified for the 12-man team.

Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry are expected to be picked by Donald, with Meronk, Nicolai Hojgaard and Lugvig Aberg, who won on Sunday at the Omega European Masters, among the contenders for the final spots.

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Meronk, 30, has climbed to 51 in the world rankings this year, and he has enjoyed a strong year on the DP World Tour with wins at the Australian Open and the Italian Open. He also placed in the top five at Ras al Khaimah, the KLM Open and the BMW International Open, putting him in contention for his Ryder Cup debut.

Shane Lowry is set to receive a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup. (Getty Images)

However, his form on the PGA Tour is sure to be of concern for Donald. He missed the cut in six PGA Tour-sanctioned events, including The Masters and the US Open, and his best performance was a tie for 14th at The Honda Classic.

Lowry, a rare bright spot for Europe in the 2021 Ryder Cup drubbing at Whistling Straits, enjoyed a strong 2022 with a win in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. He also had three top fives on the PGA Tour including T3 at The Masters.

But his form has dipped this year and missing the cut at The Open at Royal Liverpool in July was a surprise failure for the 2019 champion at Royal Portrush. However, he has a strong bond with several of his teammates and he has proven his credentials in the Ryder Cup as a rookie in 2021.

Bland, 50, was a late bloomer in elite golf and won the British Masters – his first DP World Tour title – in 2021. A year later, he joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. European LIV players are prohibited from playing in the Ryder Cup, while Brooks Koepka has been selected for the USA by captain Zach Johnson and is the only rebel player set to be involved.

Sam Frost