Adrian Meronk charted a special journey to remember after clinching a win at the 2025 LIV Golf Riyadh event.
When not traversing the globe with LIV Golf, Adrian Meronk is based out of Dubai. During the off-season, the Pole shot a lot of low numbers at practice. Going into Riyadh, he was confident that some good golf lay ahead in the 2025 season opener at the Riyadh Golf Club.
In golf, though, one never knows.
Meronk’s premonition came true. On paper, he had a wire-to-wire verdict on Saturday, February 8, leading from start from finish. However, what transpired through the final stretch of Meronk’s run defines golf and its glorious uncertainties.
From invincible to fragile
While Meronk had seemed uncatchable until the 45th hole, by which time his lead had swelled from the overnight two shots to four, his shroud of invincibility crumbled after he made the turn for the final time in Riyadh.
Despite the best of intentions at the practice range, it is tough to predict a good run during tournament play. While Meronk was lucky that his gut feeling and the hard yards in off-season paid dividends, he hadn’t bargained for the swift downswing.
Perhaps it was the pressure of protecting his lead from the chasing pack that featured Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm and Torque GC’s Sebastian Munoz. Meronk, who debuted for Cleeks GC last season, floundered on two consecutive holes, adding interest into what was heading towards a predictable end in favour of the Pole.
Scenes from the heartbreak at Houston last year would have raced through the mind. But for the second finish by a shot, Meronk could have had a win in his debut season.
Adrian Meronk charts course with win at 2025 LIV Golf Riyadh
Meltdown? Meronk would have nothing of it. Growing up in Poland, where the sport has a negligible presence and following with limited practice facilities, pursuing his first love and growing his career did not come easy.
Meronk fell back on the time-tested tactic of digging deep and calling on all that he had learnt in his formative years, especially during a football match, which changed his career choice.
An incident in which Meronk was not passed the ball during a raid, changed the course, and he decided to take charge of his destiny in a setting away from team sports. Saturday called for one such decision, and Meronk rose to the occasion.
Despite the simulation in flood-lit settings in Dubai, replicating success under pressure was a novel experience, and not easy. With the temperature dipping as well, Meronk had to keep his spirits up with a performance that matched his 6’6” frame.
“Our job is not the easiest in the world, so you have to stay patient, keep believing in yourself. You have 54 really good players, so there’s no room for error. Staying consistent is the most difficult and tricky part,” he said.
The birdie on the 16th was just the flip he needed, and with no more blips adding a late twist to the tale, Meronk gifted Cleeks GC their first individual win on LIV. With the team title at Houston from last year already in place, the team’s place among the pantheon of LIV champions is now complete.
Meronk’s four wins on the DP World Tour had come in daylight; now with the title of “night king” sitting comfortably beside his name, he is game for more such weeks. The moment fits with his liking for change and “new things”. Notably, his win in Riyadh ushered that in, marking him as the first Pole to win on LIV, quite like when he broke through on the DP World Tour with a win at the 2022 Australian Open.
LIV over PGA Tour
Despite his love of football, basketball, and his initial love, volleyball, Meronk’s choice to pursue a thread in golf follows father Andrzej’s footsteps, given the senior Meronk had also played professional golf. Likewise, while Meronk’s leaning towards LIV had been deeply considered, the decision to jump in was fraught with uncertainty.
As DP World’s Player of the Year in 2023 with two wins that season, progressing to the PGA Tour in 2024 was charted in the stars. But, Meronk’s calling lay in a space where golf and innovation go hand in hand.
LIV is young. With the LIV-PGA truce yet to materialise, Meronk found himself overlooked for the 2023 European Ryder Cup team, an event that helped solidify his decision.
Of course, it was anger on the snub, but some serious sharing of notes with fellow players from Europe too led to the decision. Had he taken up the PGA Tour ticket, Meronk would have been faced with the intimidating prospect of setting up base in the United States. And so, he turned to LIV, where the 54-hole format and fewer starts provided unique appeal.
Impact back home
Coming up the hard way in terms of access to infrastructure back home, Meronk is of the believe that his achievements have rung a bell in Poland.
“I hope it keeps growing, and that’s also my job, to grow the game back home. For everyone watching me back home, just get some play and join me. But I hope it will help,” he said in his moment of triumph.
Legionnaires
When Jon Rahm started his campaign on LIV and drafted his players in Legion XIII, the message was clear: to win. Like last season, Rahm and teammates (Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt, and the newly signed Tom McKibbin) captured the team championship by a whopping 11 shots over Ripper GC, winners of the season-ending 2024 Team Championship in Dallas.
It was a repeat as Legion XIII had commenced their maiden run with a win at Mayakoba last season; they went on to win three more times. After Riyadh 2025, they have five triumphs in 15 starts.
This season is a break from the past as LIV has introduced a new scoring pattern under which the scores of every team member counts towards every tournament in a regular season.
Before, a player with a bad round could camouflage low numbers under his teammates’ scores; the same cannot be said today.
The new setup makes it imperative for every player to place a premium on every shot, and there is no respite in the cutthroat competition between the 13 teams for the finale Team Championship.
As has been the case, Rahm led by example by shooting identical scores of 5-under over 54 holes to finish two shots behind Meronk in a tie for second with Torque GC’s Sebastian Munoz.
The intent was clear as Rahm, the individual champion of 2024, started the final day in whirlwind fashion. However, a missed birdie opportunity towards close proved itself a difference-maker in the final analysis.
“I played good enough to win, but obviously it just maybe wasn’t my week,” said Rahm. Yet, solace lay in the thumping team effort, further bolstered by the promise of Legion XIII’s future with the youngest player profile in the League.
Rahm provided insight on the team’s strategy. “Tyrrell and me have the experience. Then, having two younger guys (McKibbin is 22 and Surratt 20) with that much talent, I like our chances to possibly see the podium again. I was hopeful coming into this year, and this week only proves what we can do,” said the captain.
India experience comes handy
For Munoz, starting his season with Asian Tour’s International Series India proved to be invaluable as he emerged tied for second with Rahm. Negotiating the beast in the DLF Golf and Country Club and taming it to finish among the seven players at level-par or lower, Munoz found his T5 finish was ideal preparations for the LIV season.
Opening with an eight-under in Riyadh, the hard work in the off-season and momentum he picked up in India was on view as the Colombian stayed under-par through the week to finish the top player for Torque GC. His skipper Joaquin Niemann, who was T3 in India, was in a tie for 33rd.
“I’ve been putting in some good work in the off-season and just practicing really hard, and it’s beginning to show. I’ve just got to keep in my lane and see if things happen for me. We’ve worked hard [as a team], and it’s time to show it,” said Munoz.
The International Series India opened a gateway for champion Ollie Schniederjans as he got a start with the Hyflyers GC as a temporary replacement for injured skipper Phil Mickelson.
Driven by the belief that he belongs on LIV, Schniederjans made a steady start towards his endeavour by shooting 6-under over three days for a T30 result in a field of 54 players.
(Main and featured images: livgolf_league/Instagram)
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
