Hurry up! LIV Golf star stung with slow play penalty and hefty fine
First there was Richard Bland, and then there was Adrian Meronk. Another LIV Golf player was hit with a slow play penalty in Jeddah…
Adrian Meronk was hit with a slow-play penalty in the final round of the LIV Golf Jeddah event.
The Polish star took more than two minutes to hit his second shot on the 18th hole at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club on Sunday, exceeding the allotted time as per LIV Golf’s Pace of Play Policy.
As well as the one-shot penalty, Meronk received a financial punishment worth approximately $200,000.
During the final round, Meronk, Jon Rahm and Kevin Na were warned by a rules official on the 10th hole, their eighth hole of the day, because the group was out of position in relation to par.
On hole 14, their 12th hole of the day, the group fell further behind and was officially timed by the rules official.
The Saudi-funded tour’s policy says, “A player has 40 seconds to play each stroke, with an additional 10 seconds if they are the first to play any stroke in the group.”
ALSO: What event is next on the LIV Golf schedule?
Adrian Meronk: LIV Golf star isn’t the first slowcoach to be penalised
Meronk, who won four times on the DP World Tour before joining LIV Golf ahead of the 2024 season, was docked one shot so his score on the par 5 became a five instead of a four.
He finished in a tie for sixth, seven shots behind winner Joaquin Niemann.
This is not the first time LIV Golf has landed a blow in the fight against slow play – an issue in the game that is as old as time itself.
During LIV’s event at Valderrama in Spain in 2023, Richard Bland was given a one-stroke penalty for slow play on the par-3 15th hole.
At the start of February, Eddie Pepperell revealed that one DP World Tour player had recently received more than £100,000 in fines last year for not playing quickly enough.
European veteran David Howell added to the post thread on X (Twitter) saying, “If you are ignorant enough to ignore all the slow play rules you can rack up a two-shot penalty this year on the DP World Tour. We do take slow play seriously.”
NOW READ: How much money did each LIV Golfer win in Jeddah?
NOW READ: What is the PGA Tour’s slow play policy?
What do you make of this Adrian Meronk slow play penalty? Is LIV Golf winning the war against slow play? Tell us on X/Twitter!
Matt Chivers
Now on the wrong side of 25, Matt has been playing golf since the age of 13 and was largely inspired to take up the game by countless family members who played golf during his childhood.
Matt is a member at Royal Cinque Ports in Deal playing off a 5 handicap, just a pitching wedge away from his hometown of Dover where he went to school and grew up. He has previously been a member at Etchinghill and Walmer and Kingsdown in Kent.
Having studied history at the University of Liverpool, Matt went on to pass his NCTJ Exams in Manchester a year later to fulfil his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist. He picked up work experience along the way at places such as the Racing Post, the Independent, Sportsbeat and the Lancashire Evening Post.
Matt joined NCG in February 2023 and is the website’s main source of tour news, features and opinion. He has reported live from events such as The Open, the Ryder Cup and The Players Championship, having also interviewed and spent time with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Consuming tour golf on what is a 24/7 basis, you can come to Matt for informed views on the game and the latest updates on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and LIV Golf.
What’s in Matt’s bag: Cobra LTDx LS driver, Cobra LTDx 3-wood, TaylorMade P7MC irons, Ping Glide 4.0 wedges, Odyssey putter.
