Tom McKibbin: NI player set for shock LIV Golf switch with Jon Rahm
2025-01-07
Category: sports

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin is set for a shock switch to join Jon Rahm's LIV Golf team in a lucrative multi-year deal.McKibbin claimed a PGA Tour card in November after finishing among the top 10 players without a card in the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai.However, the 22-year-old will forgo a debut season on the PGA Tour to take the final spot in Rahm's Legion XIII team.He will join two-time major winner Rahm, England's Tyrrell Hatton and the USA's Caleb Surratt in the four-player outfit. McKibbin would become the second player from Northern Ireland to make the switch to LIV Golf after 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell joined the Saudi Arabia-backed tour in 2022.The LIV Golf season begins in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on 6 February.McKibbin is playing in the Team Cup event in Dubai this week and is scheduled to compete in the DP World Tour's Dubai Desert Classic next week. The Holywood golfer has also qualified for this year's Open Championship, which will be held at Royal Portrush. McKibbin turned professional in April 2021 and won his first DP World Tour event in June 2023 at the Porsche European Open in Germany. He also lost in a play-off at this year's Italian Open. 