Fresh off making the cut in his first British Open, Tom McKibbin returned to his home fairways on Tuesday to host this week's Northern Ireland Open Challenge Tour Pro-Am.
McKibbin, 21, is a tour professional at host venue Galgorm Castle and while he is not playing in the official tournament which starts on Thursday, his rise in the golfing world makes him an obvious choice to host the tournament.
“I’ve been playing in the Northern Ireland Open since I was 14 and it’s really cool to be hosting the event at such a young age,” said the Northern Irishman.
McKibbin has been a consistent performer on the DP World Tour, with six top-10 finishes this season, including a runner-up finish to Germany’s Marcel Simm at last month’s Italian Open, and currently sits 14th in the Race to Dubai standings.
His performance at the British Open — in a rainy and windy final 36 holes at Royal Troon where he struggled to finish tied for 66th — came after his first appearance at the U.S. Open last weekend.
“I’ve played two Grand Slams this year and made the cut in both, and to go eight rounds on a course like this is very special for me,” said the 21-year-old.
McKibbin will play more regular tournaments in the United States next year as he looks to earn one of the PGA Tour cards that will be awarded at the end of the season to the top ten players on the DP World Tour who currently do not have the privilege of playing across the Atlantic.