Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin is reportedly set to make a dramatic switch to LIV Golf, despite recently securing his PGA Tour card.
The 22-year-old rising star, who developed his game at the same Belfast club as Rory McIlroy, is poised to join Jon Rahm’s team in the Saudi-backed league.
The Telegraph say McKibbin’s representatives initiated contact with LIV Golf about the potential move.
The young golfer, who has been viewed as McIlroy’s protégé, earned his PGA Tour card in November after finishing among the top 10 players without a card in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai.
Golf star Tom McKibbin is set to make a dramatic switch to LIV Golf, despite recently securing his PGA Tour card
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McKibbin is expected to take the final spot in Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team, alongside Tyrrell Hatton and American Caleb Surratt in the four-player outfit.
He would become the second Northern Irish player to join LIV Golf, following Graeme McDowell’s move in 2022.
The LIV Golf season is scheduled to begin in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 6 February.
Golf star Tom McKibbin has been compared to Rory McIlroy throughout his career so far
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The timing of the switch is particularly notable as McKibbin is currently participating in the Abu Dhabi Team Cup, where he is playing alongside future LIV teammate Hatton in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team.
Before competing in the LIV Golf season opener, McKibbin has a busy schedule ahead.
He is currently participating in the Abu Dhabi Team Cup, a Ryder Cup dress rehearsal event.
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The Northern Irishman is also set to compete in the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic next week.
McKibbin, who turned professional in April 2021, has already shown significant promise in his young career.
His breakthrough moment came in June 2023 when he claimed his first DP World Tour victory at the Porsche European Open in Germany.
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He remains a potential candidate for the European Ryder Cup team this September.
The potential move could create an intriguing dynamic with McIlroy, who has been a mentor figure to McKibbin throughout his career.
The pair were recently seen sharing a warm embrace after McKibbin secured his PGA Tour card, coinciding with McIlroy’s victories in the Race to Dubai and DP World Tour Championship.
Golf star Tom McKibbin has showed immense promise and potential throughout his career so far
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McIlroy’s stance on LIV Golf has notably softened since its inception, when he was one of its fiercest critics.
The impact on their relationship will be closely watched, given their shared connection to Belfast’s Holywood Golf Club and McIlroy’s continued influence on McKibbin’s career development.
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