Jon Rahm gets his way as new LIV Golf signing ignores Rory McIlroy's advice
Jon Rahm gets his way as new LIV Golf signing ignores Rory McIlroy's advice
Share:
Tom McKibbin is LIV Golf's latest signing, snubbing the PGA Tour to join Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team. The Northern Irishman, mentored by fellow Holywood Golf Club member Rory McIlroy, will make his debut on the breakaway tour next week. Despite securing his spot on the PGA tour through his impressive DP World Tour performances in 2024, the 22-year-old has decided to join Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt on Rahm's four-man team.
Talk of McKibbin's leap to LIV had swirled for several weeks, with McIlroy going on the record to urge the youngster not to join the Saudi Arabia-backed tour. McIlroy revealed at the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this month that McKibbin sought his advice as soon as he received LIV's offer.
McIlroy said: "I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he's got a tonne of potential. I said to him: 'If I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice than the one you're thinking of making'. "Personally, for me, it would be a little disappointing if it were to happen but I made it perfectly clear: 'I am not going to stand in your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself.' But at the same time, I feel like he's giving up a lot to not really benefit that much.".
McKibbin, who won his sole DP World Tour title at the Porsche European Open in 2023, is ranked No. 106 in the world and was viewed as a dark horse for this year's European Ryder Cup team. His move to LIV, however, will make it nigh-on impossible for him to qualify automatically due to a lack of opportunities to earn qualification points.
