Rory McIlroy’s former mentee Tom McKibbin shoots an opening 60 in the Asian Tour event which offers an invite to Augusta National next year
LIV Golf star Tom McKibbin said the chance to qualify for the Masters and the Open had driven his course record opening 60 at the Hong Kong Open. McKibbin, 22, ignored the advice of his fellow Ulsterman and mentor Rory McIlroy to join the Saudi-backed tour at the start of the year.
The former amateur star had finished in the top 10 in the Race to Dubai last season and earned a PGA Tour playing card. McKibbin finished 17th in the individual standings in his first LIV season and banked $5,768,351. He has remained a member of the DP Tour but has now slipped down to world No.109 and is not qualified for the Majors next year.
As well as a $2m prize fund, the Hong Kong Open offers a place at Augusta and Royal Birkdale next year for the leading player not already exempt. And McKibbin, who has never played the Masters, shot his best ever pro score in his opening round 60.
READ MORE: Dustin Johnson’s new LIV Golf contract, huge rankings drop and why it all makes senseREAD MORE: DP World Tour star loses card two years after Ryder Cup near-miss
“For these events to have those spots up for grabs, they definitely motivate you to go out and play well, knowing what’s sort of on the table come the end of the week,” he told bunkered.co.uk.
“I came in with the mindset to aim at every flag and hope for the best. Obviously that worked today. Whether or not I keep deciding to do that, we’ll see, but maybe I just keep on that mentality and just go for it.”
McKibbin turned professional in 2021 and became the youngest Irish winner on the DP World Tour since McIlroy at the 2023 Porsche European Open. He signed for Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team for a reported $4m – more than his career earnings until then.
McIlroy had told his fellow member from the Holywood Golf Club that he was risking his chance to play the four Majors and the Ryder Cup.
But explaining his move before his first event in Riyadh in February, McKibben had said: “It was in my mind but I wasn’t in any of those (Majors) anyway. The opportunity to play with guys out here more consistently was a huge factor, but I am not in the majors anyway at the minute so that didn’t bother me.”
Fellow LIV star Patrick Reed shot a third round 59 on his way to the title at Fanling last year but that was with preferred lies and not count as an official record. McKibben did break the 61 carded by Aaron Rai on his way to wining the 2018 title.
There are 33 LIV players teeing up in the Hong Kong, 29 who have played the whole season, with Reed and Charl Schwartzel are the only players already in the field for the Masters as past champions.
The 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell only arrived in the former British colony at 5am on Wednesday morning and shot an opening 69 after his clubs failed to turn up.
“I played like a man that’s had two months off,” he admitted. “A little under-prepped and underplayed coming into this one.
“I didn’t really play great out there today. One-under par is not a particularly good effort on this golf course because it’s certainly there for you.”
The Australian Open in the first week of December and the South African Open the last week in February will also offer Masters places for LIV players.
The Hong Kong Open is also part of the International Series Rankings on the Asian Tour where the top player will earn an invite to LIV Golf.