Meronk says Ryder Cup snub ‘probably’ pushed him to LIV
It’s no secret that Adrian Meronk was angry he didn’t receive a captain’s pick for last year’s Ryder Cup. But could that anger have really pushed him to LIV Golf?
Speaking to The Telegraph from LIV’s event in Las Vegas this week, the 30-year-old Meronk admitted that his Team Europe snub played a big factor in him signing with the Saudi-backed circuit prior to this season.
“I don’t know, but I would probably not have come to LIV if I had played in the Ryder Cup,” Meronk said. “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.”
Meronk ranked ahead of Nicolai Højgaard in many metrics, including both of Europe’s Ryder Cup points list and the Official World Golf Ranking. Yet, it was the 22-year-old Dane, and not the towering Pole, that got likely the final nod from captain Luke Donald. Later at the Irish Open, Meronk told reporters that when Donald called him with the news that he didn’t make the team, he “stopped listening, to be honest.”
“It’s an emotional time for me to be honest,” Meronk added. “[I’ve gone] from shock to sadness to anger to now. … I thought I had done enough to be on that team.”
Now, Meronk is two events into his LIV career as a member of the Cleeks. He finished 47th out of 54 players in the season opener last week at Mayakoba, hardly a strong debut.
A Ryder Cup selection in 2025 certainly seems a longshot at the moment, though Meronk, who is technically remains eligible for the next Ryder Cup, still has aspirations to play one.
“It has always been my goal,” Meronk said. “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. I will just work hard on my game, perform at my best and see what can happen.”