Second LIV golfer quits during Open Final Qualifying

It’s a long way from Dallas to Dundonald.

LIV Golf’s ninth event of the season ended on Sunday night at Maridoe Golf Club, and a host of players from the league quickly jetted over to the UK for Open Final Qualifying.

Among those, at Scotland’s only qualifying site on the west coast, was Adrian Meronk.

However, the Pole made the trek for just 18 holes of the marathon after retiring ahead of his second round.

Meronk, 32, was set to tee off for round 2 at 14:20 but called it a day following a three-over-par round of 75.

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He joined Sam Horsfield in walking out from the event, as the Englishman withdrew after only nine holes at West Lancashire.

The 28-year-old qualified for The Open at the Liverpool venue last year, but he was seven-over par after making the turn in 43 shots.

An R&A official confirmed to bunkered.co.uk that Horsfield made a swift exit, and he was later disqualified because he had failed to notify officials of his early retiral.

Meronk, meanwhile, will now miss The Open for the first time since 2021. He made the cut in his last three starts, including a T23 effort at Royal Liverpool in 2023.

Before this year’s Masters, the Cleeks GC star had teed it up in the last nine major championships.

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Despite not having a trip to Royal Portrush on the agenda, Meronk still has a busy summer looming. He’ll contest LIV Golf Andalucia and LIV Golf UK in July before more LIV starts and a stint on the DP World Tour.

The world No.332 has played only three fully sanctioned DP World Tour events since his move to the Saudi-backed league at the beginning of 2024.

But Meronk confirmed on Instagram last week that he will play the Amgen Irish Open, the BMW PGA Championship, the FedEx Open de France, and possibly the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.