Tom McKibbin will neither confirm nor deny his plans to join LIV Golf.
Speaking to Golf Digest Middle East on Wednesday at the DP World Tour’s Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, the 22-year-old McKibbin declined to discuss multiple recent reports that he was nearing a deal to join Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team.
“I’m not gonna make any comments this week out of respect for Justin [Rose] and Luke [Donald] and this tournament,” McKibbin said. “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.”
If he were to join the Saudi-backed league, which begins its fourth season next month in Saudi Arabia, McKibbin would forfeit the PGA Tour card that he earned via the Race to Dubai last year. McKibbin, who is from the same Northern Ireland club as Rory McIlroy (Holywood Golf Club), counts McIlroy as a mentor.
McKibbin’s path has mirrored McIlroy in other ways, too, as McKibbin opted not to play college golf, backing out of his verbal commitment to Florida in 2020. He turned pro that next year after not being a lock to make the 2021 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, and he captured his first DP World Tour title at the 2023 Porsche European Open.
Currently, McKibbin is ranked No. 110 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The Team Cup, previously known as the Hero Cup, debuted two years ago, borrowing components from the old Seve Trophy, which was last contested in 2013. McKibbin is on the Great Britain and Ireland squad along with Rose (the captain), Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, who joined Rahm’s LIV franchise prior to last season.
While Legion’s opening alongside Rahm, Hatton and Caleb Surratt remains unfilled, several LIV teams have recently announced roster adds, including Cleeks (Frederik Kjettrup), RangeGoats (Ben Campbell and Bubba Watson) and Stinger (Branden Grace).
