Meronk Says He Enjoyed LIV Golf First Year & Has Moved On From Bitter Ryder Cup Disappointment

9 months ago by Comments Off on Meronk Says He Enjoyed LIV Golf First Year & Has Moved On From Bitter Ryder Cup Disappointment

Adrain Meronk says he’s enjoyed his rookie LIV Golf season and has moved on from last year’s bitter Ryder Cup non-selection disappointment.

Meronk had won the May 2023 DS Automobiles Italian Open at the host Ryder Cup course in Rome before ultimately finishing fifth on the European points list and two places outside the top-three on that list to qualify automatically.

Captain Luke Donald then overlooked Meronk in favour of Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludwig Auberg, who finished a respective 25th and 60th on the European List and also a respective seventh and 58th on the World list.

A month after the Ryder Cup, Meronk won the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucía Masters in Spain and his fourth DP World Tour success in some 15 months.

GolfByTourMiss caught-up with the now Dubai-based Meronk ahead of this week’s PIF Saudi International here in Riyadh firstly asking about his first season competing under the LIV Golf banner.

“My first season was quite stressful at the beginning of the season but I’ve got use to the format and the team play, so it’s been a lot of fun”, he said.

“It’s great we get treated so well on the LIV Tour and how everyone gets on with one another is just amazing as it’s just one big family, so I am very happy to be a part of the LIV Tour

“So, I am happy now to be a member of the Cleeks team so looking forward to next year”.

When asked what did he mean by ‘stressful’ Meronk said: “It was stressful first of all making the decision to go to LIV as it meant losing my PGA Tour card after having qualified through my standing on the DP World Tour.

“I was in the US at the time in making my decision, and it was probably the toughest decision I’ve ever made in my golfing career.

“So, I would say it’s been a good one as I have enjoyed my first year on the LIV Tour and looking forward to more in the years ahead.

“What was really pleasing was that I got off to a great start with couple of top-10s, including finishing second in Houston, and just missed out by one shot to Carlos Ortiz.

“So, there’s been plenty of highlights though to finish 17th in the rankings was not what I wanted but overall my first season was pleasing and I can build on that going forward into next year”.

Though there was no escaping asking Meronk has he moved on following his glaring disappointment in not being picked for the 2023 European Team

“I still would love to play for Europe in a Ryder Cup and if I am good enough to be picked then for sure I’d love to be the team”, he said.

“Of course, it is not my priority anymore and as I mentioned, I am very pleased with the decision I made as my goal now is to play as well as possible as I can no matter where I play.

“So, if my golf is good enough and they want me, then I will be ready.

“I also feel I’ve shown this first year with LIV that I am just as competitive as I was before joining LIV.”

And now living in Dubai, he confirmed that he will be contesting next year’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

“I will be playing Dubai next year and that will be good, as I am now living in Dubai”, he said.

“I played in all four UAE events this years including second at the Hero so looking forward to returning to the Emirates Club next year”.

 



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