With a few dead weeks in the 2024 LIV Golf Schedule, it gives their players time to rest up and have some needed R&R from clocking up all those miles before the culminating final two tournaments in a few weeks time in the States.
You might have seen online Dustin Johnson busy fishing on his boat, Bryson DeChambeau out and about as the “Content King” making YouTube videos, but you might not have noticed one other LIV Golfer who has been engaging with the game of golf back in his home country in Europe.
LIV Golfer Adrian Meronk was spotted walking the fairways at the Challenge Tour’s Rosa Golf Challenge, supporting his 14 fellow countrymen taking part in the 21st event of the 2024 Road to Mallorca.
Before Meronk made a name for himself on the DP World Tour, which ultimately led to him joining LIV Golf at the beginning of 2024, the Polish star was plying his trade on the European Challenge Tour between 2017 and 2019, at the same year collecting his first professional bit of silverware at the Open de Portugal.
The 31-year-old Dubai-based Pole was only in the highest regards of his time spent on the Challenge Tour and how it developed him as a player, leading to his graduation onto the DP World Tour where he would collect a further four titles in just 15 months.
“It was huge. It’s the best place to develop as a player. (We would) compete every week on the highest level with such a good competition and good level of players as well. The margin was so small and I learned a lot,” said the 2019 graduate.
“I played two and a half years on the Challenge Tour and it gave me a lot of lessons and prepared me for the main tour.”
Meronk continued about the importance of having the Challenge Tour back in his home country of Poland after it’s 15-year hiatus.
“It’s massive. I remember 15 years ago (2009) it was being played on my golf course (Toya Golf and Country Club), and I played it as a junior aged 16. To have it back here in Poland is huge for players, juniors, people and golf overall. I’m really happy about it and happy to see golf back at the highest level in Poland.”
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Even though golf is still regarded as a new sport in Poland, the Cleeks GC member was upbeat in the fact that the developmental tour is vital in hosting events like this, and is what is key for getting people into the game of golf.
“It will definitely grow the game. It’s great to get the juniors involved in the tournament even as working as volunteers this week, they can watch the professionals and see what they need to do in order to compete as a professional. Some even got to play in the pro-am so it’s a great place to learn what it’s about.
“Even for people who don’t know about golf in Poland it’s good for them to see that we host such a big event, maybe will help some new people start their journey and play golf.
“I think that’s the key to popularise golf in Poland and that’s my mission and the mission of this tournament to grow golf in Poland and I think it’s doing a good job.”
Next up for Adrian will be LIV Golf Chicago where he and the 53 other LIV Golfer’s will be competing for the customary $4 million winner’s check from the overall $20 million purse, before then heading to Dallas the following week for the $50 million LIV Golf Team Championships.
A far cry from the 270,000 euro prize pot that was being played for in Poland where the winner, Ayora Angel, pocketed 43,200 euros and former Dubai-based Swede Christofer Rahm 17,500 euro for his tie for third.