Adrian Meronk’s LIV Golf Riyadh win didn’t come without its fair share of late-night drama on Saturday.
The Cleeks GC star saw his lead waver down the back nine at Riyadh Golf Club, but he held his nerve when it mattered most.
Meanwhile, Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII barely broke a sweat, cruising to a commanding team victory with an 11-shot cushion.
By the time the floodlights dimmed, both Meronk and Legion XIII stood atop the podium as wire-to-wire champions in LIV Golf’s first-ever night tournament.
For Meronk, the 31-year-old Polish standout, it marked his first individual title since joining LIV Golf last season.
His steady 1-under 71 sealed a 17-under total, two shots clear of Rahm and Sebastián Muñoz (Torque GC). Dean Burmester (Stinger GC) and Lucas Herbert (Ripper GC) tied for fourth at 14 under.
“Super special,” said Meronk, his relief evident. “I was nervous all day. I played quite good in the beginning, then it was a fight at the end. But super happy that I crossed the line. It was very satisfying, definitely.”
In the team competition, Legion XIII—led by Captain Jon Rahm—repeated as LIV Golf season-opening champions after their debut win last year in Mayakoba.
Their five wins in just 15 events underscore their rapid rise as a dominant force in the league.
Holding an 11-shot lead at the start of the final round, they maintained that exact margin to finish at 50 under par, just three strokes shy of the LIV team scoring record.
Riyadh also marked the first event where all four scores counted in every round—a test Legion XIII passed with flying colours.
Rahm spearheaded the charge with a 5-under 67, while Tyrrell Hatton added a 70, and Caleb Surratt carded 71. Tom McKibbin, the 22-year-old debutant from Northern Ireland, shot even par to tie for 15th at 10 under in his first LIV appearance.
“Luckily, we had a nice cushion going into today and we could afford to not have our best day as a team,” Rahm reflected. “But still, it was a decisive win and very happy we got to start the year again like this.”
Elsewhere, defending LIV Golf Team Champions Ripper GC finished tied for second at 39 under alongside RangeGoats GC, setting the stage for their return to Adelaide, where they’ll defend their 2024 title.
Meronk, much like Legion XIII, appeared to be on cruise control early. He entered the round with a two-shot lead and stretched it to four at the turn. But the back nine turned into a thriller.
A missed short par putt at 10 and an errant tee shot at 11 led to back-to-back bogeys.
His frustrations mounted at the par-5 13th, where a short birdie putt cruelly circled the cup 360 degrees before lipping out, allowing Muñoz to draw level.
“The lip-out at 13, that was just so ugly,” Meronk admitted. “But it happens.”
With the pressure on, he delivered the knockout blow at the par-4 16th. A 167-yard approach nestled just four feet from the pin, setting up the go-ahead birdie. Two clutch pars at 17 and 18 ensured his place in LIV history.
“The birdie on 16 was really huge,” Meronk emphasized. “…It was probably the biggest shot for me this round.”
Rahm, last season’s LIV Golf Individual Champion, started the day six shots back. He threatened to crash the leaders’ party with five birdies in a six-hole stretch, but a missed 3-foot birdie putt at 15 stalled his charge.
“I think I played good enough to win,” Rahm said. “Obviously, it just maybe wasn’t my week.”
It was, however, unquestionably his team’s week. Legion XIII’s dominance under the lights left no doubt.
And for Adrian Meronk, his LIV Golf Riyadh win proved that when the pressure peaks, true champions step up.
