Tom McKibbin Would Make a Serious Mistake by Joining LIV Golf

Reports that Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin is set to join LIV Golf have left Golfshake's Derek Clements shocked. Reflecting on what it could mean for the young star's Ryder Cup and major prospects, Derek believes that the 22-year-old has made a mistake.

Every so often you read a headline that simply stops you in your tracks and you have to cast your eye over it again to ensure you have not misread it.

News of Tom McKibbin’s reported defection to LIV Golf had precisely that impact upon me. 

What on earth was the young Northern Irishman thinking? Here is a golfer who worked his rocks off last year to gain a much-coveted PGA Tour card. He spoke about how much it meant to him to try his hand against the best golfers on the planet.

It was the golden ticket. And he should have grabbed it with both hands.

McKibbin turned professional in April 2021 and won his first DP World Tour event in June 2023 at the Porsche European Open in Germany. He also lost in a play-off at last year's Italian Open. 

There are some golfers who are a natural fit for LIV - I am thinking of the likes of Bryson Dechambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and even Tyrrell Hatton. And I understand why Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Phil Mickelson and Paul Casey signed on the dotted line. They were all nearing the end of their careers and saw it as a final chance to cash in.

But McKibbin is not one of those. He is one of golf’s quiet men and I am utterly convinced that he will be out of his depth in the LIV community.

He qualified for this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush through his finish in the 2024 Race to Dubai but he has thrown away any immediate chance he might have had of playing in the other majors because his world ranking of 114 does not get him in. And if he can’t play in PGA Tour events then he has no chance whatsoever of improving upon that ranking.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Ironically, McKibbin played in last week’s Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, an event designed to bring together 20 golfers who should be vying for Ryder Cup berths. 

He said that he would be making no comment about his move "out of respect" for his Team Cup GB&I captain Justin Rose and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. He would only say: "It's a team event, so [I'm] just trying to give my best to the team and see how many points I can get."

He would have shown a damn sight more respect to Rose and Donald had he at least had the decency to wait until after the Team Cup was over before allowing his move to be made public.

I have to say that McKibbin should have been shown the door and his place given to somebody else because he now has no chance whatsoever of representing Europe at Bethpage Black - unless, that is, he follows the route taken by Jon Rahm and Hatton and applies to rejoin the DP World Tour. 

Under normal circumstances he would now be fined and suspended but Rahm and Hatton have appealed against their bans and are allowed to compete until that appeal process has been completed.

Can McKibbin really now join that appeal process and be able to look at himself in the mirror?

There is another issue that needs to be addressed here.

We are told that negotiations are continuing towards a framework deal that would bring unity back to the game, that would see PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV golfers competing against one another again.

If that really is the case and everybody involved is serious about reaching an equitable agreement then why are LIV still actively recruiting young talent? And why are they signing a golfer who is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Europe? 

McKibbin has signed for Rahm’s LIV team and will tee it up alongside Hatton and Caleb Surratt, a 21-year-old American who was also regarded as being a brilliant prospect but has thus far struggled to make his mark with LIV.

McKibbin is the second player from Northern Ireland to make the switch to LIV Golf after 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell joined in 2022. And it did not work out too well for McDowell.