Adrian Meronk Becomes Latest Big European Name To Sign With LIV Golf

Adrian Meronk has become the latest star European name to leave the established tours for LIV Golf after signing with Martin Kaymer's Cleeks GC ahead of the 2024 season.

The 2023 DP World Tour Player of the Year has enjoyed a superb past 12 months, winning three times and ending the season in a career-high fourth on the Race to Dubai Rankings - consequently earning a full PGA Tour card for 2024.

Despite that, he somewhat controversially missed out on a pick from Luke Donald in Team Europe's most recent Ryder Cup squad - a decision that he admitted made watching the men in blue's 16.5-11.5 success "hard to watch."

However, Meronk used that disappointment as fuel to continue his upwards ascent towards the upper echelons of men's professional golf, later winning the Andalucia Masters on the DP World Tour.

Following a T40 finish at the Australian PGA Championship, the German-born Pole continued his fine form by racking up three top-10 results in a row across the Australian Open, the Dubai Invitational, and the Dubai Desert Classic - the latter of which saw him end second behind Rory McIlroy.

Meronk was due to make his first PGA Tour start of 2024 at the Farmers Insurance Open - won by former amateur Nick Dunlap - in late Janaury but pulled out and was replaced by Erik Barnes.

The 30-year-old will now team up with new teammates Kaymer, Richard Bland, and Kalle Samooja - winner of the inaugural LIV Golf Promotions - at LIV Golf Mayakoba this week, an event which is competing with the PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the attention of golf fans around the world.

Speaking to LIV Golf's in-house media team about the move, Meronk referenced spending more time at home as a key factor behind his decision. The Polish No.1 said: “I’m really looking forward to the new challenge and next chapter of my career as I team up with Martin and the Cleeks. 

"While I appreciate this decision didn’t come easy, joining LIV Golf is a very special moment for my career. The 2023 season made me feel that despite all of my successes, 287 days a year which I spent away from home is too many. 

"The LIV schedule gives me more time with my loved ones and more space to work on every aspect of my game. While on LIV, I will remain passionately dedicated to supporting the next generation of golf in Poland."

Meronk's switch follows in the footsteps of LIV Golf's biggest winter signing - Jon Rahm - and his Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton. The Spaniard confirmed his move a couple of weeks before Christmas while Englishman Hatton was only officially announced on Tuesday alongside LIV Golf Promotions winner Kieran Vincent and promising amateur Caleb Surratt.

Meanwhile, in a joint-announcement with Meronk, LIV Golf confirmed Australia's Lucas Herbert had joined Cameron Smith's Ripper GC ahead of the coming season.