Tom McKibbin is heading to LIV Golf. (Image: Getty Images)
has snagged another high-profile golfer, with Tom McKibbin joining the ranks of Legion XIII team.
The Northern Irish prodigy, who honed his skills at Holywood Golf Club just like four-time major winner , has opted to forgo a card in favour of the controversial LIV series.
Despite securing his spot on the PGA Tour through his impressive DP World Tour performance in 2024, the 22-year-old has chosen to complete the lineup for Legion XIII as they gear up for the upcoming LIV season starting in Saudi Arabia.
McKibbin will be teaming up with notables such as Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Caleb Surratt. His decision to join LIV had been circulating in the rumour mill for weeks, and McIlroy himself had publicly advised against abandoning the PGA Tour opportunity.
At the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month, McIlroy disclosed that McKibbin had consulted him right after receiving the LIV offer.
McIlroy shared his thoughts: “I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he’s got a tonne of potential. I said to him: ‘If I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice than the one you’re thinking of making’.
“Personally for me it would be a little disappointing if it were to happen but I made it perfectly clear: ‘I am not going to stand in your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself.’ But at the same time, I feel like he’s giving up a lot to not really benefit that much.”
Jon Rahm will instead benefit from Tom McKibbin. (Image: Getty Images)
McKibbin secured his singular triumph on the DP World Tour at the Porsche European Open in 2023. Sitting at No. 106 in the Official World Golf Ranking, he was regarded as a long shot to join the European Ryder Cup team this year.
However, his transition to LIV Golf casts significant doubt on his automatic qualification due to his new allegiance to the controversial circuit.
McKibbin has remained tight-lipped regarding his choice to forgo the chance of competing on the PGA Tour, declining to field questions while in Dubai. Nonetheless, Rahm lauded him as a “fantastic player”, remarking: “The possibilities for him are endless whenever he decides to do.”
The LIV Golf season tees off in Riyadh on February 6 and moves to Adelaide the following week, with tournaments in Hong Kong and Singapore after that.
The tour will then make its way to the US with an event at Trump National Doral commencing on April 4.
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