DP World Tour Rookie McKibbin Forging His Own Path On Tour
By Ryan Redding
Tom McKibbin sets sights on the DP World Tour Championship.
No matter what the sport is, fans and pundits love to compare players of different generations.
We often label young, talented athletes as the next greatest thing – the next Michael Jordan or LeBron James; the next Lionel Messi; and for golf, the next Tiger Woods.
Those comparisons and the expectations that come with them are nearly impossible to live up to, regardless of the talent they possess.
They set the bar so high for the athlete that anything other than being the best may be considered a failure by fans and critics. Some rise to the challenge and even exceed expectations – hello, LeBron James. Others fade off into memory as what could have been.
For 20-year-old Tom McKibbin, those comparisons to his fellow countryman from Holywood, Northern Ireland, began at an early age when his talent and potential were undeniable.
Tom has heard the comparisons to World No. 2 and four-time major winner, Rory McIlroy, from a young age, both having honed their games over the rolling landscape of Holywood G.C. overlooking Belfast Lough in County Down.
Tom McKibbin Goes From Elite Amateur to Challenge Tour Rookie
McKibbin saw success from an early age, often traveling to the United States to play against elite competition at junior events. In 2018, he won the Major Champions Invitational, a junior tournament created by six-time major champion, Nick Faldo. That same year he represented Ireland at the European Boys’ Team Championship and was victorious at the Jacques Leglise Trophy team competition, representing Great Britain & Ireland.
Like many promising amateurs from Europe, the plan for Tom was to attend college to play golf in the States. Things don’t always go as planned, though. In fact, McKibbin’s boyhood hero, Rory McIlroy, signed a national letter of intent to play golf at East Tennessee State University before deciding to turn pro instead. Similarly, a turn in the road led McKibbin to forego his college career and turn professional in 2021.
Tom McKibbin spent the 2022 season on the Challenge Tour in Europe, paying his dues and learning what it takes to be a professional, both on and off the course. He finished 10th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings and secured his DP World Tour card and playing privileges for the 2023 season, a remarkable achievement for such a young player in his first season as a pro.
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The transition from the Challenge Tour to the DP World Tour went well, with McKibbin boasting top-20 finishes in his first three events. But like any rookie, there were both ups and downs along the way. From missed cuts and the headaches of international travel to a change in equipment, life on tour throws all sorts of obstacles your way.
However, the young rookie’s determination and work ethic never faltered, paying off in a big way when he won the DP World Tour’s Porsche European Open by two strokes in June, his first professional win.
To secure a spot in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship, players must rank in the top 50 of the Race To Dubai Rankings. That win in June, along with solid play throughout the rest of the summer, helped secure McKibbin’s spot at No. 41 in this month’s DP World Tour Championship at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
The quiet, humble young man from Northern Ireland is just getting started in this game, as he sets his sights on greater things, including the PGA Tour, playing in major championships, and the Ryder Cup.
But are we once again getting ahead of ourselves with a young sporting phenom? Perhaps.
However, this young golfer has a vision and goals, and the hard work ethic, determination, and dedication to go with it. Not only that, but he also has a phenomenal support system with loving, supportive parents, and yes, Rory McIlroy, just a text message away.
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So, what advice might young Tom receive from the elder McIlroy? Be yourself, kid; forge your own path. And that is exactly what McKibbin is doing.
Maybe one day in the not-so-distant future, he’ll be the one giving advice to the next talented young prodigy from Holywood, Northern Ireland.