Suffering much more than expected and more than it might have seemed halfway through the round, Adrian Meronk (-17) has opened his victory account in LIV Golf by winning the tournament held this week in Riyadh, the first of the season. The tall Polish golfer, aged 31, was the first from his country to win a European Tour event and the first to play in a major. Now he also becomes a pioneer on the Saudi tour, managing to withstand the final round attack from Spaniard Jon Rahm (-15) and Sebastián Muñoz (-15).
The man from Barrika did everything he needed to give himself a chance. He started six shots behind and began Saturday with a painful bogey. But his response was immediate, with five birdies in the next six holes that put him second, just three shots behind the leader. However, his birdie production from that moment slowed down while Meronk, focused on not making mistakes, was picking here and there in the few opportunities he had.
It seemed that no one could trouble the Pole, who was very solid throughout the week. But just as he was starting the second half of his round, three mistakes came that opened the door wide. He missed a very short putt for par on the par-five 10th, committing his second bogey of the week; he missed again from the tee on the 11th and dropped another shot. And when he had the chance to react with a one-metre birdie putt on the 14th, a painful lip-out completely unsettled him.
As Meronk was losing ground in the standings, one of his playing partners, Sebastián Muñoz, made two birdies, the second a tremendous one on the 14th by holing a very long putt, which caught him at the top of the leaderboard. And then, in his most challenging moment of the week, with Jon also pressing in the group ahead thanks to a great shot on the 17th to set up a birdie, the Pole managed to steady his nerves to hit the winning shot: a massive approach from the 16th fairway to set up a birdie and regain the lead.
This lip out! 😱
After 2 dropped shots @AdrianMeronk is tied with @jsmunozgolf heading into the last 4 holes 👀
Watch the finale LIVE on @FOXSports FS2 now 📺
Stream worldwide on the LIV Golf app 📲#LIVGolfRiyadh @Cleeks_GC pic.twitter.com/1FXry5HMC6
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 8, 2025
To make matters worse, the Colombian made an unexpected bogey putting from close range on the 17th while Rahm, in his last chance to at least fight for the playoff, missed a one-and-a-half-metre birdie putt on the 18th. Adrian went out to play his final hole of the tournament with a two-shot lead over his pursuers and did not falter: iron to the fairway, great approach shot to the green, and two putts to seal his first victory in LIV Golf, take the lead in the rankings, and pocket four million dollars.
David Puig (-13), with a tremendous 65 this Saturday, managed to climb to a tied sixth place, scoring, like Sergio García (-13), a sensational top 10 to start the season. Meanwhile, Luis Masaveu (-5), after struggling in the first two days of competition, managed to tame the Riyadh Golf Club today with a great 68 to climb to a tied 33rd place in the final standings.
A dominant display from @LegionXIIIgc 🙌@JonRahmOfficial's squad are the first team champions of 2025 🏆#LIVGolfRiyadh pic.twitter.com/QDRxRTlDJ7
— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) February 8, 2025
In the team competition, the victory of Legion XIII led by Jon Rahm was overwhelming. Their overall score, 51 strokes under par counting all rounds of their four players, was 11 strokes better than Cameron Smith’s Rippers GC and 12 better than Bubba Watson’s RangeGoats GC. Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surrat had a fantastic tournament, and their latest signing, Tom McKibbin, came close to the top 10, showing that his addition will bring many successes to the team led by the champion from Barrika.
