Golfer Adrian Meronk has delivered a damning assessment of life on the PGA Tour.
The 31-year-old made the surprising decision to join LIV Golf after a breakthrough season on the DP World Tour.
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Meronk was one of LIV Golf’s biggest coups in the most recent off-seasonCredit: Getty
Meronk was set to make his PGA Tour debut after earning one of the ten cards on offer to members of the European circuit in 2023.
However, the Pole decided to snub the PGA Tour in favour of a $10milion offer from LIV Golf, following fellow Europeans Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton to the Saudi breakaway league in January 2024.
And Meronk insists his decision was a lifestyle choice.
“If I’d played in America, I would have had to base myself there and I would have been so lonely and so miserable, I think,” said Meronk at The Els Club last week.
“I even talked to Nicolas Colsaerts – when he started playing the PGA Tour, he felt so lonely, he didn’t really enjoy it.
“I was a little bit scared of that, to be honest. I wanted to play out there, but hearing things like that played a part in my decision.
“Joining LIV Golf meant I could stay in Dubai, which is a place that I like, and play fewer tournaments, as I was exhausted last year after playing 27 times.
“I think it was a great decision for me. It’s given me so much life and enjoyment.
“It’s like a rat race on the PGA Tour – everybody is looking out for themselves, and nobody talks to you.”
Such is the nature of an individual sport, but Meronk also found out that team events can let you down hard.
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Meronk watched from home as Europe thrashed the USACredit: Getty
Many expected Meronk to land a spot on Team Europe for the Ryder Cup after his success in 2023, which included a victory at the Rome venue, Marco Simone.
However, he was overlooked by captain Luke Donald, who turned heads by picking Nicolai Hojgaard instead.
Meronk has previously admitted the snub inspired his decision to join LIV Golf.
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Speaking earlier in 2024, he said: “I would probably not have come to LIV if I had played in the Ryder Cup. 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. Yeah, and that in life, especially when you are a professional athlete, it is not your whole life. You just have to make sure that your family is good and that you are good and feeling good.”
Nevertheless, Meronk still hopes he can make the team for the 2025 Ryder Cup in Europe, with Rahm and Hatton also battling sanctions from the DP World Tour to make themselves eligible.
“I think my manager may have spoken to him [Donald] at Wentworth, but I’ve not personally spoken to him about anything,” said Meronk.
“Sergio [Garcia], Rahm, Hatton – there’s a lot of players on LIV who want to be involved, so he probably knows I am up for it if I am playing well.
“I believe if I play well, I can make it.”
