Reports: Jon Rahm closing in on World No.16 as Adrian Meronk agrees LIV deal

Poland's Adrian Meronk has reportedly agreed a deal that will see him forfeit the PGA Tour card he secured last season on the DP World Tour to join the lucrative LIV Golf League. 

Rumours Meronk had agreed a deal to join LIV Golf began on Wednesday after the 6ft 6ins golfer mysteriously withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open. 

Meronk, 30, later claimed on his Instagram stories that he was feeling unwell. 

But reports from The Times of London and SI's Bob Harig claim Meronk, who many believed should have been selected for the 2023 European Ryder Cup team, has agreed a switch to the Saudi-backed breakaway. 

It is thought that Meronk will join Martin Kaymer's Cleeks outfit, taking the last place on the team that includes England's Richard Bland and the Finnish pro Kalle Samooja. 

Samooja, 35, earned his spot onto the 2024 LIV Golf League via the qualifying school event the circuit held last December. 

Meronk was one of 10 players who earned their PGA Tour cards via the DP World Tour last season. 

If true, the news will be difficult for the DP World Tour to swallow given Meronk was recently named as the European-based circuit's player of the year ahead of Rory McIlroy. 

SI have also reported LIV are closing on in a deal to sign the World No.16 Tyrrell Hatton. 

Hatton's camp are said to be in advanced negotiations although the deal is yet to be signed. 

It is also important to note that Hatton has recently committed to the Waste Management Phoenix Open. 

The deal for Hatton would see the Englishman join Jon Rahm's yet-to-be-named LIV outfit. 

Reports suggest Rahm's team will be called Legion XIII. 

Hatton was asked about reports linking him with a switch before the Dubai Desert Classic. 

Alongside Tommy Fleetwood, he appeared to suggest he would be open to a LIV move. 

When asked by reporters if he was happy plying his trade on the PGA and DP World Tour, he said: "As of right now, yeah." 

He added: "I'd say there's several people have had conversations [and] I think that's part and parcel of golf at the moment, but I'm quite happy playing PGA Tour and DP World Tour."

LIV Golf teams 2024:

4Aces

• Dustin Johnson
• Patrick Reed
• Pat Perez 
• Harold Varner III

Cleeks

• Martin Kaymer
• Richard Bland
• Expected: Kalle Samooja 
• Adrian Meronk (reported)

Crushers 

• Bryson DeChambeau
• Anirban Lahiri 
• Charles Howell III
• Paul Casey

Fireballs

• Sergio Garcia
• Abraham Ancer
• Eugenio Chacarra
• David Puig

HyFlyers

• Phil Mickelson
• Brendan Steele
• Cameron Tringale
• Andy Ogletree

Iron Heads

• Kevin Na
• Danny Lee
• Scott Vincent 
• Expected: Jinichiro Kozuma

Majesticks

• Ian Poulter
• Lee Westwood
• Henrik Stenson
• Sam Horsfield

RangeGoats

• Bubba Watson
• Matthew Wolff
• Thomas Pieters
• Peter Uihlein

Ripper

• Cameron Smith
• Marc Leishman
• Matt Jones
• Expected: Lucas Herbert

Smash

• Brooks Koepka
• Graeme McDowell
• Jason Kokrak
• Talor Gooch

Stinger

• Louis Oosthuizen
• Dean Burmester
• Branden Grace
• Charl Schwartzel

Torque

• Joaquin Niemann
• Sebastian Munoz
• Mito Pereira
• Carlos Ortiz

Legion XIII 

• Jon Rahm
• Expected: Caleb Surratt
• Expected: Kieran Vincent
• TBC

Read more:

• Brooks Koepka fires another cheap shot at Matt Wolff ahead of LIV Golf season
• Martin Kaymer targets 'another' European after confirming LIV Golf signing
• Tommy Fleetwood offers most Tommy Fleetwood response ever to LIV speculation
• LIV Golf pro: "It's not what I thought my career would look like"