Birdie Barrage, Indeed 19 Birdies, As Meronk & Surratt Share Lead Saudi Honours

2 hours ago by 0

Birdie barrage!

Indeed 19 birdies among the leading duo on the opening day of the 2025 PIF Saudi International.

Adrian Meronk produced a stunning bogey-free nine-under 62 to tie his fellow LIV star Caleb Surratt in Riyadh.

First it was Surratt who brilliantly lit-up the host course with his own 62 that included 10 birdies, seven of those birdies over his closing eight holes for a then two stroke clubhouse lead in the season-ending $5m Asian Tour event in the Saudi capital.

Meronk, winner in Saudi earlier this year in the opening LIV event of 2025, was out on the afternoon half of the draw with the Polish golfer storming his way to tie Surratt with nine birdies in a mistake-free display.

Surratt is no stranger to play well in Saudi having posted a course-record 61 a year ago on route to finding his way into a three-man play-off with Aussie Cameron Smith and eventual champion red hot Chilean Joaquin Niemann, who won with a birdie at the second extra play-off hole.

It was January last year when LIV Golf announced that Surratt had turned professional and joined Legion XIII captained by Jon Rahm.

The North Carolina born golfer made his LIV debut on February 2, 2024, at LIV Golf Mayakoba where he finished tied for 13th and his Legion VIII team won the team title. He followed up with a tied-12th finish in the second event in Las Vegas, which would be his highest finish of the season.

Away from LIV, he recorded top-3 finishes in all three appearances on the Asian Tour International Series during 2024 and the third of those being mentioned above.

This past LIV season the former 2023 Walker Cup star contested 13 events with a best of T6th in UK LIV

Meronk was naturally delighted with his opening effort and was naturally asked what is about the Riyadh host course.

“I don’t know. It just seems like it [Riyadh Golf Club] suits my game,” said the Polish golfer, who plays for Cleeks GC.

“I really like it. I think I kind of know how to play this course already, and I like the greens. They roll nicely. I see the break nicely. Yeah, I just enjoy playing here. Excited to be here again.”

Belguim’s Tom Pieters was another to jump on the birdie express picking up six birdies in his closing eight holes in a score of in an eight under 63 and to be in third

Thailand’s popular Kiradech Aphibarnrat is lying fourth in Saudi at seven-under and with four players, including the foursome of Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen, England’s ever-green Paul Casey, South Korean Seonghyeon Kim and Columbian Sebastian Munoz a shot further back sharing fifth at six under.

“It was a great day,” said Surratt. “I’ve been working really, really hard the last few weeks. This is my fifth week traveling, so I’ve learned a lot. I’ve had to fight a lot of battles, so it was kind of nice to win today’s battle. I’m very pleased, but it’s just the start of the tournament.

“It’s been a much better year. I believe I’m one of the best players, and I truly have shown myself that, especially towards the back half of the year. I’m really starting to learn my process, learn what I need to do to play well,” he added.

“I think it’s an everlasting process to learn how to be more consistent. I feel like my good golf is more than good enough, but what makes all these great players so good is they can bring it nearly every week.

“The good golf’s there. It’s just a matter of kind of putting myself in that position to succeed a lot more often. When you do that, I think everything gets easier over time.”

Kiradech, the Asian Tour Order of Merit winner in 2013, was bogey free today and clearly likes the course as he was joint third in the Saudi Open presented by PIF early last year.

 



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