Golf’s ‘Next Rory McIlroy’ and fellow Holywood star Tom Kibbin will make his professional debut next Thursday teeing-up in the European Tour’s Tenerife Open.

McKibbin had missed out on his big goal to qualify for next month’s GB & I Walker Cup team and instead has made the move to join Holywood’s four-time major winning Rory McIlroy in the play-for-pay ranks.

The Tenerife Open will be a first of handful of invitations the 18-year old will be afforded on both the European and secondary Challenge Tour’s for the remainder of 2021.

Announcing the news was Mitchell Tweedie, one of McIlroy’s closest friends, who is Director of Player Management at JMC Sports that will now look after the business affairs of the prolific amateur winning McKibbin.

“Tom is a talented and bright young player,” said Tweedie.

Tom McKibbin during the final day of the 2019 Home International Matches at Lahinch . (Photo – Pat Cashman)

“We are delighted to start this journey with him and I look forward to watching him grow and prosper across the various global tours.”

“The Next Rory,” won many of the same tournaments that McIlroy did as a kid, and naturally being a member of McIlroy’s home club, Holywood, developed a close bonding with McIlroy.

McKibbin has played with McIlroy on several occasions, including at the 2016 Irish Open pro-am, when McKibbin was just 13, and also joined McIlroy and his father, Gerry in late 2019 playing at the famed The Bear’s Club and also teeing-up at nearby Seminole where the Walker Cup is being held later next week.

Rory McIlroy and Tom McKibbin in 2015 at Dubai

“Tom is the real deal,” McIlroy said of McKibbin a few years ago. “I think he has a remarkable golfing future ahead of him.”

However, while long dubbed ‘The Next Rory McIlroy’ McKibbin said the comparisons with McIlroy don’t bother him.

“If you’re getting compared to Rory McIlroy, you’re obviously doing something right,” he said to US Golf Digest magazine.

“But I think more than anything it’s huge having Rory as a mentor and being able to ask him for advice, ask him what he thinks about things.

“He’s the best, and to be able to go out and play golf with him, I mean, who better to play with than Rory? … If you can play with Rory, you can play with anyone.”

McKibbin actually made his European Tour debut at the ShotClock Masters and competed in last year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open but missed the cut in both events.

And while McKibbin would have been disappointed in not returning to the Seminole club next week, and what will be 14-years since McIlroy competed in the 2007 Walker Cup at Royal County Down, he’s looking forward to jetting out to Tenerife this morning where he will join fellow Irish Cormac Sharvin, Paul Dunne, Jonathan Caldwell and Niall Kearney.

“I’m ecstatic to make my professional debut next week at the Tenerife Open,” said McKibbin.

“I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and working with Mitch and the JMC Sport Team.”