Tag: Adrian Meronk

Carlos Ortiz wins 2024 LIV Golf Houston in same city he won lone PGA Tour event

It’s the first LIV Golf win for Ortiz.

Carlos Ortiz is a fan of the city of Houston.

Ortiz picked up the first LIV Golf win of his career Sunday, shooting 5-under 67 to finish at 15 under and capture 2024 LIV Golf Houston by one shot over Adrian Meronk.

Ortiz and Meronk started the day tied for the lead, and they remained tied with only four holes to go at Golf Club of Houston. However, on the par-5 15th, Ortiz made birdie while Meronk made bogey, and the two-shot swing was enough to give Ortiz his first win since the Asian Tour’s International Series Oman in February.

It’s Ortiz’s second professional win in the city of Houston, also capturing the PGA Tour’s 2020 Vivint Houston Open. That is his lone Tour victory.

Cleeks GC took home the team title, its first, at 33 under. Smash GC and Fireballs GC tied for second at 31 under.

The next LIV Golf event is slated for two weeks in Nashville at The Grove. Next week, Meronk will be among the 12 LIV Golf players headed to Pinehurst No. 2 to compete in the 2024 U.S. Open.

Watch: LIV Golf star makes long birdie, fan falls off barstool trying to catch souvenir

The fan who tried to make a play for the ball might have wound up with a bruise or two.

Adrian Meronk’s 64 wasn’t the best score of the second round at LIV Golf Hong Kong, in fact that honor went to Abraham Ancer, who finished with a 62 to cruise out to a five-stroke advantage heading into the final round of play at the Hong Kong Golf Club Fanling.

For Meronk, who admitted when he first joined LIV Golf that he did so due to his snub from the Ryder Cup team, the spectacular second round still has him looking way up the leaderboard at Ancer. Although his 64 put him at 8 under through the second round of play, Ancer’s scintillating effort pushed him to 15 under. He’s trailed by Harold Varner III and Eugenio Chacarra, both at 10 under, and the trio of Jon Rahm, Cam Smith and Henrik Stenson at 9 under.

But after Meronk drained a lengthy birdie putt on the 10th hole, one of seven birdies he posted on the day, he casually tossed the ball up into a gallery sitting in an adjacent bar area. The fan who tried to make a play for the ball might have wound up with a bruise or two.

In the team competition, Ancer’s Fireballs GC sits atop the leaderboard at 28 with Smith’s Ripper GC in second, just three shots behind.

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Adrian Meronk says if not for Ryder Cup snub, he wouldn’t have joined LIV Golf

“What happened definitely made my choice easier.”

Adrian Meronk was in shock when he wasn’t one of the six captain’s picks to join Luke Donald’s squad at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Italy.

“I was expecting I have a pretty decent chance to be on the team, but it was a quite shocking call,” he said at the time. “I heard from (Donald) that it was tough for him, as well. To be honest when I — when he said I’m not going, I kind of stopped listening,” he said of the call. “He was saying that someone had to stay home. It was close obviously and stuff like that.

“Obviously I wouldn’t want to be in his position. I knew it was tough for him. But yeah, as I said, it was a big shock, and I didn’t really focus after that.”

However, once he started to focus again, he had a new one: LIV Golf.

Meronk confirmed with The Telegraph that his snub from the Ryder Cup team was a major reason he decided to join LIV Golf.

“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.‌

“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.”

Meronk, 30, had a strong case to be selected. He had won the Australian Open the previous December and also the Italian Open earlier that summer, played at no other than Marco Simone, site of the Ryder Cup.

The Europeans didn’t have an issue taking down the Americans, winning 16½-11½. However, the decision kept Meronk wondering.
‌”The last two years I had really great years, but to be honest, I wasn’t enjoying it as much,” Meronk said. “I was just constantly on the road. We didn’t have a proper home, just packing from hotel to hotel, airport to airport. I was sitting with my parents and my girlfriend during Christmas, and I was just saying, ‘Yeah, I had a great year, but I didn’t really enjoy it.’ I remember when I won in Italy last May, waking up on the Monday, and saying, ‘OK, great, I won the tournament. But now I have to start all over again, go to a new course, get my routine going again. Where is the joy?’ ‌So one of the best things is having more time to enjoy life with my family and friends.”

Now, Meronk is a member of Martin Kaymer’s Cleeks. He finished 47th of 54 golfers in his debut at LIV Golf Mayakoba but sat inside the top 20 heading into the final round at LIV Golf Las Vegas on Saturday.

He told The Telegraph he still hopes to play on a Ryder Cup team one day.

“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,” he said. “I will just work hard on my game, perform at my best and see what can happen.”

Report: Adrian Meronk set to join LIV Golf, Tyrrell Hatton may not be far behind

Meronk was considered the biggest European Ryder Cup snub last September.

Eight days before LIV Golf’s 2024 season opener and about eight hours after he withdrew from the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, Adrian Meronk is leaving the PGA Tour for the rival circuit.

According to a report by The Times of London, Meronk, considered the biggest snub from the 2023 European Ryder Cup team, will join LIV Golf in time for the first event of the year in Mexico on Feb. 2-4. He finished second at the Hero Desert Dubai Classic last week. Meronk will reportedly join the Cleeks, captained by Martin Kaymer.

The Times report also states that LIV Golf is continuing its pursuit of England’s Tyrrell Hatton, who earlier Wednesday was announced among the latest commitments to the 2024 WM Phoenix Open. That tournament is set for Super Bowl weekend, as is LIV Golf’s second event of 2024 in Las Vegas from Feb. 7-11.

Meronk is ranked 56th in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings. Hatton is ninth. Only No. 5 Jon Rahm is more highly ranked among those on LIV Golf.

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Farmers Insurance Open 2024 odds, course history and picks to win

It’s almost go time in San Diego.

For many, this week is the unofficial start of the golf season.

The PGA Tour is back at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California, for the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open. The property’s North and South courses will be used for the first two rounds before the final 36 are played on the South Course on Friday and Saturday — yes, there’s a Saturday finish this week.

Defending champion Max Homa is back to defend his title and is joined in the field by Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Aberg, Tony Finau and Jason Day.

We haven’t seen Homa since he tied for 14th at the 2024 opener in Maui.

Golf course

Torrey Pines (North) | Par 72 | 7,258 yards

Torrey Pines (South) | Par 72 | 7,765 yards

2023 Farmers Insurance Open
The third green on the South Course at Torrey Pines for the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

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Ludvig Aberg, Sebastian Soderberg co-lead 2023 BMW PGA Championship

Ludvig Aberg was playing college golf at Texas Tech just a few months ago.

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There are two weeks to go until the 2023 Ryder Cup and the biennial event in Italy is the major subplot at this week’s BMW PGA Championship in Surrey, England.

All 12 of the European Ryder Cup team members are participating at Wentworth Club but it’s the rookie of the bunch making big waves this week.

Ludvig Aberg, who was playing college golf at Texas Tech just a few months ago, won for the first time on the DP World Tour just 12 days ago.

On Friday, after three birdies over his first eight holes, Aberg hit a speedbump with a double bogey on the ninth hole, but responded on the second nine with five birdies, including three straight to close out his round of 66 to get to 10 under.

Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg is trying to crash the party. He shot the second 64 of the week  – first-round leader Marcus Helligkilde had the other – and is at 10 under after 36 holes. He finished birdie-eagle, hitting his second on the par-5 closing hole to 15 feet and then draining the putt.

Considered the biggest Ryder Cup snub on the Team Europe side, Poland’s Adrian Meronk was 5 under after his first 18 holes and was a co-leader at 9 under for much of the day Friday. He is tied for third alongside Thomas Detry and Masahiro Kawamura.

Billy Horschel, who won this event two years ago, opened with a 75 but shot the round of the week with a 63 – thanks to seven birdies and an eagle – on Friday to zoom up the leaderboard. He’s tied for 16th.

BMW PGA: Full leaderboard | Star-studded pro-am photos

There was a 1 hour, 20-minute delay to Friday’s action due to fog and it was a sprint to finish the second round but they didn’t quite get all the golf in, so the round will resume Saturday morning.

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Marcus Helligkilde leads, biggest European Ryder Cup snub inside top 5 at BMW PGA Championship

Catch up on Thursday’s action from Wentworth here.

The first round of the BMW PGA Championship was suspended due to darkness with just a handful of players left on the course, but after Day 1 Marcus Helligkilde holds a two-shot lead over Richie Ramsay and European Ryder Cupper Matt Fitzpatrick.

Helligkilde got around the Wentworth Club Thursday in 8-under 64, a round that included five birdies and a bogey on each side. His big run came on Nos. 4-9 where he made five birdies in six holes.

The 232nd-ranked golfer in the world from Denmark has yet to win on the DP World Tour, but has put together a solid stretch of late tying for fourth at the ISPS Handa World Invitational and for 13th at the European Masters a few weeks ago.

“I did it by hitting it terrible on the range,” he said when asked how he put his round together, “and as my coach says, I asked him, what should I do, and he’s like, yeah, you’re probably going to play great. So that was what happened.”

BMW PGA: Full leaderboard | Star-studded pro-am photos

Fitzpatrick, like Helligkilde, had two bogeys on his card but made eight birdies, good enough for a 6-under 66. The Englishman has found his game over the last month or so, tying for second at the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship, for ninth at the Tour Championship and for third at the European Masters. He’s just one of the several European Ryder Cuppers entering the biennial battle in Rome in great form.

Adrian Meronk of Poland plays his second shot on the 16th hole during Day One of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club on September 14, 2023 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

One of the biggest Ryder Cup snubs, Adrian Meronk, is sitting pretty at 5 under after his first 18 holes. With all 12 members of the team in the field — plus captain Luke Donald — Meronk is looking to send a message in Surrey, England.

As for some of the big names, Ludvig Aberg (4 under) and Tyrrell Hatton are T-12, Viktor Hovland (3 under), Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood are T-21, Tom Kim (2 under) is T-31, Jon Rahm (1 under) is T-45 and Rory McIlroy (Even) is T-65.

“It was great. A little bit more people than I’m used to following me around,” Aberg said after playing with McIlroy and Hovland. “It was really fun playing with those two guys. Obviously, the level of golf that they can do is pretty amazing and for me to watch that is pretty cool.

“I was kind of walking around and then almost pinched myself in the arm on the fairways but really enjoyed it, and proud of the way I handled it today.”

The three European stars will tee off at 7:40 a.m. ET for their second rounds.

Coverage resumes on Golf Channel Friday morning from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET.

2023 BMW PGA Championship odds, picks to win

Here are 3 players to keep an eye on, including Min Woo Lee (28/1).

One of the biggest events on the DP World Tour schedule is here as an absolutely stacked field has made its way to Surrey, England, for the BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Club.

Last year, Shane Lowry barely escaped Rory McIlroy — his final putt rested on the lip of the 72nd hole to force a playoff — for his sixth European circuit win. After failing to make the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Lowry missed the cut at the D+D Real Czech Masters. However, he tied for third at last week’s Irish Open at The K Club.

All 12 members of the European Ryder Cup team are in the field this week along with Tom Kim, Adam Scott, Billy Horschel and Min Woo Lee.

Golf course

Wentworth Club | Par 72 | 7,267 yards

2022 BMW PGA Championship
A general view as competitors play on the 18th hole during Round Two on Day Three of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club on September 10, 2022 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

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Shock, sadness and anger: Adrian Meronk addresses being left off European Ryder Cup team

“To be honest when he said I’m not going, I kind of stopped listening,” Meronk said of his call with Luke Donald.

As the event’s defending champion Adrian Meronk didn’t need any added motivation to play well this week at the 2023 Horizon Irish Open, but a phone call Sunday threw gasoline on his already lit fire.

European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald made his six captain’s picks on Monday, and after finishing fifth on the European points list and 11th on the world list, Meronk was told to expect a call regardless of the outcome. Following his T-13 at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland on Sunday, the 30-year-old was in a good mood.

“To be honest, I was in shock,” Meronk said of the news that he wasn’t selected for the 12-player squad bound for Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome later this month. “I was expecting I have a pretty decent chance to be on the team, but it was a quite shocking call.”

“I heard from (Donald) that it was tough for him, as well. To be honest when I — when he said I’m not going, I kind of stopped listening,” he said of the call. “He was saying that someone had to stay home. It was close obviously and stuff like that. Obviously I wouldn’t want to be in his position. I knew it was tough for him. But yeah, as I said, it was a big shock, and I didn’t really focus after that.”

In 11 starts on the PGA Tour this season Meronk missed six cuts and had just three top-25 finishes. On the DP World Tour he earned a win at the Australian Open in December and the Italian Open in May to highlight 11 top-25 finishes in 18 starts.

“It’s been emotional time for me to be honest from shock to sadness to anger, and now I’m trying to turn it into motivation going into this week,” said Meronk ahead of his title defense at the K Club on Ireland’s Kildare countryside. “Obviously it’s a hard one to swallow. I thought I’ve done enough to be on the team, but it is what it is. I wish them good luck and I will just focus on my game and move forward.”

“Monday, first half of the day was more sadness and disbelief. But then anger, because to be honest last year and a half, I spent a lot of time thinking about this and that was my goal,” he added. “So you know, suddenly, I was just realizing that it’s not going to happen this year. So it was just sadness turning into anger. I think it’s normal process of emotions to be honest.”

Those who believe Meronk was snubbed for the team will point to captain’s picks like rookies Ludvig Aberg and Nicolai Hojgaard, one of which has been highlight praised after his win in Switzerland at the European Masters.

“I think Ludvig is probably going to play in the next six or seven Ryder Cups, so this is a good one to start with in Rome with a very strong team. I think he’ll fit into the team nicely,” said Shane Lowry, who will make his second start for the Euros in Italy. “He drives the ball incredibly well, which is what you need around that golf course, and I think he’s a great fit for the team.”

“Oh, I think Ludvig was a simple pick at the end. Like I don’t think it was in any question at the very end,” added former European captain Padraig Harrington. “I think two weeks prior, it would have been a big pick. It would have been a pick based on stats rather than necessary results, but his results have been fantastic the last two weeks, and that’s actually why you have a closing date. You’re trying to get current form into your team, and Ludvig has proved it.”

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Who got snubbed in the Team Europe Ryder Cup selection process?

It’s hard to find much fault with the Ryder Cup selections European Team captain Luke Donald made. Still, some did.

It’s hard to find much fault with the Ryder Cup selections Team Europe captain Luke Donald made on Monday morning as he added some aggressive young talent with some wily veterans.

Having Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm gives the European side a mighty strong base.

The additions of Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg give the team a younger look at a time when the American squad added experience.

Still, some fans were scrutinizing Monday’s announcement and a story at our sister site For The Win, part of the USA Today Sports network, highlighted the perceived snubs: