McKibbin loving LIV but future remains cloudy
Team Champions Captain Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, Caleb Surratt and Tom McKibbin of Legion XIII pose with the trophy following the final round of LIV Golf Team Championship Michigan at The Cardinal at Saint John’s on Sunday, August 24, 2025 in Plymouth, MIchigan. (Photo by Jon Ferrey/LIV Golf)
Tom McKibbin doesn’t feature on any pre-event publicity posters or even on today’s packed pre-tournament press conference schedule.
It’s part and parcel of the LIV golfer’s lot these days as question marks remain over the future of the Holywood star and fellow LIV Golf renegades and Legion XIII teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton on the European circuit.
It appears inconceivable that the powers at Wentworth can afford to dispense with the services of two Ryder Cup stars and a young Northern Irishman, who appeared destined to battle for a place on Luke Donald’s 2025 team when he earned his PGA TOUR card almost a year ago.
Whether McKibbin tees it up in Amgen Irish Open next year — strongly rumoured in tour circles to be close to heading to Donald Trump’s Doonbeg links — remains to be seen as the LIV players appeal their fines.
It’s a process that is unlikely to be resolved until after hostilities at Bethpage Black but there has been no call from Donald, so far at least, inviting McKibbin to play the role filled by the likes of Rasmus Hojgaard in Rome two years ago, and go and drink in the team room atmosphere in New York in anticipation of a future appearance in the match.
“No there was no call from Luke,” McKibbin said with a grin as he prepared to seek a second DP World Tour win in his fourth Irish Open appearance that would guarantee his presence in the 50-man, season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai. “I mean, to be a part of that, or to be around that would be very cool. Serve coffees for people…”
McKibbin hasn’t won since he captured the Porsche European Open in 2023 and went on to earn one of ten PGA Tour cards last season.
In the end, he turned down the move to the US to throw in his lot with Rahm and Co at LIV Golf, even after being advised by Rory McIlroy that it would affect his Ryder Cup and Major championship prospects.
McKibbin has publicly shown no signs of buyer’s remorse, explaining more than once recently how much he’s learnt playing alongside the likes of Rahm and Hatton, and competing with stars such as Bryson DeChambeau, Joaquin Niemann or major champions Patrick Reed and Brooks Koepka, who are also at The K Club this week.
After winning $5.77m in his rookie season with Legion XIII, he’s certainly laughing all the way to the bank and while he’s fallen from a career high of 97th to 153rd in the world this week, he feels he’s a better player than he was 12 months ago.
How he can progress in his career is the big unknown and while he played in two of the four majors this year, he has qualified for none so far in 2026.
Despite that, he remains a member of the DP World Tour and at 69th in the Race to Dubai, planned starts this week, at the BMW PGA next week, the Alfred Dunhill Links and the Spanish Open should be enough for him to make the top 70 who contest the first playoff event in Abu Dhabi.
And the Ryder Cup? Adare should be on his mind, surely.
“Definitely in the future,” McKibbin said. “Maybe not as much this year. Obviously, I'd love to be there. But it’s definitely a goal of mine, and to hopefully be a part of that team one day would be very nice.”
Hatton qualified for the side automatically on the back of just a handful of counting events that included a fourth-place finish in the US Open.
"Yeah, obviously incredible,” McKibbin said. “I think he only did it in like six or seven events, maybe. I think it just shows how well he played in those majors and the other big events outside of those.”
With starts coming up at next week’s BMW PGA, the Alfred Dunhill Links and the Spanish Open and McKibbin can give himself a springboard to finish a consistent year on a high by getting back into the winner’s circle.
“I've been playing nicely so hopefully I can bring a little bit of that form into this week,” said the Holywood star, who helped Legion XIII win the season-ending LIV Team Championship.
“The course is looking good. Been out there for nine holes this morning. So I think with hopefully the way my game's shaping up, and I like the course, so hopefully I can have a good week.”
He feels he’s a better player than ever thanks to LIV — "I've learned a lot from it, and I feel like my game has gotten a lot better because of it. So yeah, very happy.”
But he misses that winning feeling.
“I want to take what I've learned all year and really try and make a good dent in the next four or five events over here and try and get another win,” he said.
“It's been been two years since the last one. So, yeah, I'd love to get out there and put myself in a position each week to hopefully contend.”
The tree-lined fairways of the Palmer North Course at The K Club should suit him.
“This would be one of my favourite styles of golf,” he said. “Parkland. Good premium for driving it well. As I said, hopefully I keep the good golf going and can take advantage of a course that I like.”
