LIV adds Meronk, Herbert ahead of season opener

LIV Golf signed two more players to its roster ahead of this week's season-opening event in Mexico, announcing the additions of Adrian Meronk and Lucas Herbert on Wednesday.

Meronk, 30, was the 2023 DP World Tour Player of the Year. When he won the 2022 Horizon Irish Open, he became the first Polish player to win on the DP World Tour. He is joining the Cleeks GC team, captained by Martin Kaymer.

"I'm really looking forward to the new challenge and next chapter of my career as I team up with Martin and the Cleeks," Meronk said. "While I appreciate this decision didn't come easy, joining LIV Golf is a very special moment for my career.

"The 2023 season made me feel that despite all of my successes, 287 days a year which I spent away from home is too many. The LIV schedule gives me more time with my loved ones and more space to work on every aspect of my game. While on LIV, I will remain passionately dedicated to supporting the next generation of golf in Poland."

The team is set 👊

Welcome, Kalle and Adrian 🙌 pic.twitter.com/a9mRcS9Vcy
— Cleeks GC (@Cleeks_GC) January 31, 2024

Herbert, 28, will compete on fellow Australian Cameron Smith's Ripper GC team. He has four professional wins – three in Europe and the 2021 Bermuda Championship on the PGA Tour.

"I'm very excited to team up with Cam on the all-Aussie Ripper GC squad this season. This is an incredible opportunity, and I can't wait to begin this part of my career," Herbert said. "I'm looking forward to teeing it up this week in Mayakoba and of course playing in front of our home country crowd in Adelaide in a few months."

𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐂 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐓! ✍🇦🇺#RipperGC #LIVGolf pic.twitter.com/ugmfw2tElW
— Ripper GC (@rippergc_) January 31, 2024

The league is also adding two wild-card spots for its third season. Laurie Canter and Hudson Swafford will compete in weekly tournaments for individual prizes and not as part of its team structure. They will be included in the season-long individual championship race.

Canter, who was a reserve for Majesticks GC last year, narrowly missed out on a fulltime LIV spot this season via the Promotions event, while Swafford is a three-time PGA Tour winner who missed last season due to injury.

LIV also said the two qualifiers from December's promotions event have been assigned to teams. Kalle Samooja of Finland will join Cleeks, and Jinichiro Kozuma of Japan will play for Kevin Na's Iron Heads GC.

LIV's third season begins on Friday at LIV Golf Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.