Was LIV Golf too rich to be real? Adrian Meronk reportedly made $10 million as a bonus for just signing up with the league. Now, after winning his fifth DP World Tour title, his mind has changed.
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On October 4, 2026, Meronk won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. A few days later, reports suggested that he’s not coming back to the league. “The End!
Adrian Meronk has no intention of extending his contract with LIV Golf!” wrote Polish Golf commentator Jacek Person.
The report comes at a crucial time. Meronk earned his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after first debuting at the event ten years ago. It was a special occasion and one that influences his future.
This is because, by winning, he has secured a card to return to the DP World Tour in 2027. Furthermore, given LIV’s fragile state, perhaps the player’s choice has become clear with this victory.
In a recent issue of the Przegląd Sportowy newspaper, Meronk had highlighted LIV’s existing situation. “For now, I don’t want to make any decisions, also because we know too little about the future of LIV.”
Furthermore, another conversation suggested that he was happy to be a member of the DP World Tour even though it means not getting any money up front. On October 8, 2026, he had another conversation which shed even more light on the situation.
“I will be a member of the DP World Tour,” he confirmed to the Polish newspaper WP SportoweFakty. “I won’t sign a contract or receive a guaranteed sum; I’ll have to play for prize money in individual tournaments. Even so, this is far better than the situation I was facing until recently.”
LIV Golf famously offered lucrative contracts and signing bonuses to its players. Meronk was offered $10 million. Furthermore, Jon Rahm was reportedly offered an even bigger $300 million contract. On October 7, his representative, John Beck, confirmed that the former Masters champion had decided to not participate in LIV Golf 2.0.
LIV Golf had received a ton of criticism for being funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
In April 2026, the PIF confirmed that it won’t fund LIV Golf from 2027 onwards. Months later, in September, the first few big cracks began showing in LIV’s infrastructure as it filed for bankruptcy.
Without the support of the PIF, the organization seemingly crumbled to a great extent.
Both Rahm and Meronk have had a negative experience with the league. Reports suggested that Rahm was owed roughly $150 million after the league collapsed due to a lack of funding.
Similarly, the bankruptcy filing showed that Meronk was also owed about $4.44 million. Now, the players and the organization are awaiting the court hearing scheduled for November 2026.
In many ways, LIV Golf’s run seems to have been short and controversial. It was under public scrutiny not only for diluting the sport but also for its hefty contracts that far outpaid those of other leagues. Its link to the Saudi government didn’t help either.
Without the PIF’s support, its most attractive feature fell flat for many players. Meronk and Rahm are just some of the few seen jumping off a burning ship. Other stars may follow suit.