ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Tom McKibbin, a promising young golfer from Northern Ireland, may be considering a switch to LIV Golf, just weeks after obtaining his PGA Tour card.
During a media interaction on Wednesday, when asked about a potential transition to the Saudi-backed league, the 22-year-old player refrained from making any statements, indicating, “I’m not going to make any comments this week.”
Ranked No. 110 in the world, McKibbin spoke while preparing for the upcoming Team Cup, an unofficial event designed to ready potential European players for the Ryder Cup scheduled for September at Bethpage Black.
In this event, McKibbin will represent Britain and Ireland, with guidance from captain Justin Rose, as they compete against Continental European players under the observation of Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.
McKibbin emphasized his focus on the tournament, saying he wants to avoid discussing LIV Golf matters “out of respect for Luke and Justin and this tournament.”
“It’s a team event,” he elaborated, adding, “so just trying to give my best to the team and see how many points I can get.”
Reports of McKibbin potentially joining LIV Golf first surfaced through the Spanish platform TenGolf.
Notably, he honed his skills at the same Holywood Golf Club as fellow Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy.
McKibbin received congratulations from McIlroy upon learning about his successful bid for a PGA Tour card, which he earned based on his points accrued throughout the European tour season, culminating with the World Tour Championship held in Dubai last November.
