The DP World Tour’s Ryder Cup warm-up event, the Team Cup, could provide a window into the near future for rumoured LIV Golf recruit Tom McKibbin, who will play with Tyrrell Hatton in Abu Dhabi
Rumoured LIV Golf recruit Tom McKibbin has been paired with his potential teammate Tyrrell Hatton for the opening session of the Team Cup – a warm-up event for the Ryder Cup.
Ten-man teams representing Great Britain & Northern Ireland and Continental Europe go head-to-head at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort from Friday to Sunday, with the event a proving ground for Ryder Cup hopefuls alongside a smattering of experienced players.
Former world No. 1 Justin Rose is the playing captain for GB&NI, with Ryder Cup veterans Tommy Fleetwood and Hatton also on his team. And Hatton will play with Northern Ireland’s McKibbin in Friday’s fourballs, facing off against Antoine Rozner and Julien Gurrier in the UAE.
McKibbin, who grew up playing at Rory McIlroy’s home course of Holywood in County Down, was one of 10 players who earned PGA Tour cards after an impressive 2024 season on the DP World Tour. However, it has been widely reported this week that the 22-year-old – a one-time winner on the DP World Tour – will snub the chance to play stateside, instead joining Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team on LIV Golf.
High Wycombe native Hatton is also a member of Rahm’s team, and Rose’s decision to pair them together in the Team Cup will inevitably fuel speculation that McKibbin is headed for the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway circuit. The sight of McKibbin and Hatton as playing partners could be a window into the near future, with LIV’s season teeing off in Riyadh next month.
Rahm has a vacancy on his four-man roster after Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent was relegated after a disappointing 2024 season on LIV. Young American talent Caleb Surratt is the other member of the squad.
And McKibbin would certainly be a headline addition. Not only would it be the second year in succession that a European player rejected a PGA Tour card after Adrian Meronk in 2024, but the Ulsterman is also precisely the kind of up-and-coming player that LIV needs to bolster its top-heavy roster.
The prospect of joining LIV has undoubtedly become more feasible and appealing for young European players over the past 12 months. Not only is there greater earning potential on LIV for unproven players due to its smaller tournament fields and hefty prize money purses, but the pathway to play in the Ryder Cup has also been reopened.
Rahm and Hatton are both set to be part of Luke Donald’s team for Bethpage Black in September after meeting the four-tournament entry threshold to keep their DP World Tour cards – a mandatory requirement for Ryder Cup players.
The fines issued to the pair and several of their LIV Golf colleagues have been put on hold after they launched appeals, allowing them to compete freely on both LIV Golf and the DP World Tour until an independent hearing – which has not yet been scheduled.
A LIV Golf source told the Mirror last month that an unnamed player from the DP World Tour’s 10 PGA Tour card winners had contacted the breakaway league about joining, and it has since become clear that man was McKibbin.
McKibbin could follow a similar route to Rahm and Hatton if he seals his move to LIV. He could compete on the DP World Tour during LIV’s off weeks, gaining Official World Golf Ranking points in addition to keeping himself in the frame for Ryder Cup selection. And a strong performance with Donald watching closely in the Middle East this week would doubtless help his cause.
