Breaking News – Tom McKibbin Signs With LIV

9 months ago by Comments Off on Breaking News – Tom McKibbin Signs With LIV

LIV Golf has confirmed the news and first reported some three weeks ago and that is Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin has officially signed with LIV.

McKibbin, 22, has signed a $9m deal and will join John Rahm’s Legend X111 team.

“Tom McKibbin, welcome to the team, let’s go,” Rahm said with a double-fisted celebration when announcing that McKibbin will be joining him, Tyrrell Hatton and American Caleb Surrat on the Legion XIII formed last year. (See video below)

McKibbin’s signing comes after, and what I will call a ‘cat-and-mouse’ game with McKibbin’s management team over the past three weeks.

This reporter was in attendance at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic when first advised folllowing McKibbin’s opening round he would not be speaking with the waiting media.  Instead, McKibbin headed off to the nearby clubhouse for a random drugs test.

While I was there as the lone journalist following McKibbin’s second and also his final round when I sought to speak McKibbin, and it was only due to the fact I know well McKibbin’s manager Mitchell Tweedie, and one of McIlroy’s boyhood good friends, I was ‘allowed’ to speak to McKibbin.

However it was on the strict proviso I ask McKibbin only about his round though there was some quickly raised eyebrows when one of my last questions to McKibbin, and following his last day 69 for a superb share of 6th place, was to ask what he thought of Tyrrell Hatton’s winning effort.

The question, and not intended in anyway to be LIV Golf related, quickly raised eyebrows, and prompting me to say to McKibbin that is was only to get his reaction to Hatton’s second DP World Tour victory is just a handful of months.

McKibbin answered the question without any hesitation.

Fellow Holywood Golf Club member Rory McIlroy will surely be disappointed and after his revealing McKibbin had approached him late last year seeking McIlroy’s guidance whether or not he should sign.

GolfByTourMiss asked McIlroy at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic his thoughts on the McKibbin’s expected signing.

Tom McKibbin and Rory McIroy in Dubai – Image Getty

McIlroy said:  “I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he’s got a ton of potential. Look, I said to him, if I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice than the one you’re thinking of making. I think, you know, working so hard to get your Tour card in the States, something that he did, to achieve that goal last year was a big achievement.

“I think what he potentially is sacrificing and giving up with access to majors, potential Ryder Cup spot, depending on, you know, how he would play, it just wouldn’t have been — you know, depending — look, I don’t think anything is official yet.

“But if I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn’t make that decision.

“But I’m not him. I’m not in his shoes. He’s a grown man at this point and can make his own decisions. All I can do is try to give him my perspective.

“Yeah, look, it would be — personally for me it would be a little disappointing if it were to happen but again, it’s not — I made it perfectly clear: I am not going to stand 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, you know”.

McKibbin contested just 71 DP World Tour events capped by his 2023 Porsche European Open triumph.  He posted 11 other top-10s and made the cut in 49 of those 71 tournaments.

He began his DP World Tour career with a round at the 2018 Shock Clock Masters in Vienna, Austria and now ends that career also following a 69 to miss the cut at the 2025 Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

McKibbon’s best finish in his only two majors – the 2024 US Open and Open Championship was T41st at the US Open.

McKibbin earned Euro 2,822,890.91 in prizemoney while he signs with LIV as the present World No. 106th ranked golfer.

He also ranked 16th on the 2025 Race to Dubai money last and is ranked 21st on the European Ryder Cup standings.

And in signing with LIV, he does without hitting one shot as a member of the PGA Tour and an honour he earned by ending the 2024 DP World Tour season among the leading 10 quaifiers.

A question now that could raised will England’s Jordan Smith, who finished last year 11th on the 2025 PGA Tour membership earning list now be offered McKibbin’s place?

 



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