Although LIV Golf has yet to make an official announcement, Northern Ireland player Tom McKibbin is expected to join the alliance and give up his fully exempt spot on the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy advised him not to do so.
Speaking in Dubai ahead of the Hero Dubai Classic on Wednesday, McIlroy, the defending champion, questioned the decision of a player to earn a spot on this year's PGA Tour after finishing in the top 10. Last exempt seat without other qualifications. DP World Tour 2024.
“I've known Tom since he was 10, 11 years old, and as soon as he got the job offer, he called me,” McIlroy said. “I had just arrived in New Zealand. I told him a number of times during December to get a sense of what he was thinking and…basically what he was going to do. All I could do was give my perspective.
“I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he has a lot of potential. Look, I said to him, if I were in your situation, I would make different choices than what you want to do. ”
McKibbin, 22, is from McIlroy's hometown of Holywood, Northern Ireland, and plays for the same club where the 35-year-old McIlroy grew up. McKibbin won the DP World Tour title in 2023 and performed well enough last year to earn a spot on the PGA Tour.
He will join Jon Rahm's Legion XIII LIV team, which still has a vacancy.
McKibbin was in Abu Dhabi last week for the Teams Cup but declined to answer questions on the subject “out of respect for the event”.
McKibbin plans to compete in Dubai this week and compete in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship in the United Arab Emirates next week. LIV is scheduled to start its season in Riyadh next month.
“I think it's a huge achievement that he worked so hard last year to get his Tour card in the U.S. to achieve that,” McIlroy told a news conference at the Emirates Golf Club. “I think it's a huge achievement. What he might sacrifice and give up to get to the majors, a potential Ryder Cup berth, depending on how he plays…
“If I were in his position and had his potential, which I think I've had before, I wouldn't have made this decision. But I'm not him. I'm not in his position. He's an adult, in He can make his own decision at this point. All I can do is try to express my opinion to him.”
McIlroy said McKibbin had not yet made up his mind when they spoke.
“No, very open,” McIlroy said. “He was very willing to hear my point of view and I appreciate him calling me to get it. But like I said, at the end of the day, he has to make his own decision and when he does, whatever the outcome is, I Will always be a fan of his and will always try to help him in any way I can.
“I think we all see the potential in him and I definitely think he can be a top-10 player in the world. But obviously if he makes one decision instead of another, his ranking won't be there in the next few years. Show this.”