No LIV regrets for McKibbin as he makes PGA Championship debut inspired by McIlroy's Masters magic
Tom McKibbin of Legion XIII hits his shot from a bunker on the 17th hole during the pro-am before the start of LIV Golf Mexico City at Club de Golf Chapultepec on Thursday, April 24, 2025 in Naucalpan, Mexico. (Photo by Pedro Salado/LIV Golf)
Ninety-nine of the top 100 in the world rankings are in action in this week's PGA Championship and while Tom McKibbin isn't among them, he's inspired by Rory McIlroy's incredible Masters victory to prove that he's not the only Holywood star capable of great feats at Quail Hollow this week.
McIlroy advised McKibbin against giving up the PGA TOUR card he earned on the European Tour last year to chase riches on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Tour.
But McKibbin (22) believes competing with major winners like his Legion XIII team mate Jon Rahm has helped him with his game.
Not only that, the world number 124 is determined to justify the special exemption he received from the PGA of America for this week and put in a good performance in just his third Major appearance.
The rain-lashed practice range at Quail Hollow was festooned with LIV golfers early yesterday as McKibbin hit balls near Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, then did some chipping before a heavy storm forced him to seek shelter.
He cut a friendly, relaxed figure as he ducked under the eaves of the clubhouse for a chat, where talk quickly turned to McIlroy — a four-time winner at Quail Hollow — who became the first European to complete the career Grand Slam by winning the Masters.
"I haven't yet, but hopefully, I'll catch up with him over the next couple of days and sort of get his thoughts on it," Dubai-based McKibbin said when asked if he'd spoken to the world number two since his Masters triumph.
"I sent him a few texts after he won, but I actually haven't seen him, I haven't been home.
"It was very inspiring, very cool to watch. Obviously, the incredible amounts of pressure he must have been under that day. I know I was nervous watching on TV, never mind what he must have been feeling.
"But it was awesome to see him get him done and to see the relief was pretty cool. I was back in Dubai, late at night, watching the golf there. My sleep was all over the place.
"But it was inspiring to see. Just to see him go back there for how many years that was, and how hard it must have been to answer all the questions, and to go out there on that Sunday and play good, and then sort of struggle, and then play good and hit some of those unbelievable shots. It was just very cool to see, knowing how much he wanted that."
McKibbin is not McIlroy, even if he does hail from Holywood Golf Club.
But he's certainly got talent in spades and the modern golf swing to average 322 yards off the tee on the LIV Golf circuit this year.
Quail Hollow is possibly a better fit for his game than Pinehurst No 2 or Royal Troon, where he made the cut in his first two major starts in the US Open and The Open last year.
Whether he's a better golfer now with seven LIV Golf tournaments under his belt remains to be seen.
But he is convinced that competing with Major winners like Rahm, Koepka, Reed, and Bryson DeChambeau has helped him, and he has no regrets.
"No, very happy," he said. "I've had a great time. I've been very, very lucky to play with a lot of very good players so far this year and I've definitely seen my golf game improve, playing tough courses like Doral. So it's definitely prepared me a little bit better. Yeah, I'm very happy.
I've been very lucky to play with a lot of great players who have done well in these major championships and play against them.
"I've obviously been playing with Jon (Rahm) in a lot of practice rounds, and then on tournament days as well, so to see how they play the game and how they take on golf courses, it's been, very eye-opening."
As for his game, he admits he hasn't quite been in top form in recent weeks but feels his game is close.
How close remains to be seen and he's unsure how much he can fall back on his performances at Pinehurst or Royal Troon when it comes to having confidence this week
"Good question," he said. "I'm not sure. I think obviously Pinehurst was obviously a very difficult test of golf. I hadn't experienced that difficulty, and then Troon, obviously, with the weather and the wind. This is going to be something different again.
"I think these events are about not making mistakes and I probably made too many double bogeys or stupid mistakes back then. I'll learn from that and take the golf course how it is, play it right and be sensible.
Nerves, no doubt, will be a factor, but having finished tied 41st alongside likes of Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth at Pinehurst and 66th in The Open in Troon, he's proved he can play Major golf.
"I mean, it's obviously one of the biggest events in the world, and you obviously want to do well and things like that," he said.
"But for me, definitely Pinehurst and The Open, knowing how hard the golf courses were before, was more nerve-wracking. You didn't really want to make a mistake or to try and force anything too much.
"So that's probably something that was trickier. Normally, you're just trying to get off the fast start and make a few birdies. Whereas the way those courses were, if you just tried too hard, you could mess it up quickly.
A big week could put McKibbin on Luke Donald's Ryder Cup radar, but with chances to impress or rack up points now few and far between following his move to LIV Golf, he's put it to the back of his mind.
"Obviously, I'd love to be a part of a Ryder Cup team," said the Antrim native, who has qualified for The Open at Royal Portrush but must pre-qualify for next month's US Open.
"It's a by-product of playing well. But if I can take advantage of the big tournaments I'm in, you never know."
