LIV Golf Signs Rising Star Tom McKibbin to Jon Rahm's Team

Tom McKibbin, a 22-year-old Northern Irish golfer and protégé of Rory McIlroy, is set to join Jon Rahm's LIV Golf team on a multi-year deal.

LIV Golf is poised to make a significant addition to its roster, with reports indicating that Tom McKibbin, a protégé of Rory McIlroy, is set to join Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team on a multi-year deal. This move comes as a notable development for the league, which has yet to announce a major new signing ahead of its 2025 season opener.

McKibbin, a 22-year-old golfer from Northern Ireland, has been making waves in the golf world. Just weeks ago, he secured his PGA Tour card by finishing among the top 10 players without a card on the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai. This achievement has apparently caught the attention of LIV Golf, leading to his impending signing with Legion XIII.

Northern Irish golfer Tom McKibbin is set to join Jon Rahm's team, replacing Kieran Vincent, who was relegated. McKibbin will be alongside England's Tyrrell Hatton and American golfer Caleb Surratt on Rahm's team. Notably, McKibbin has a personal connection with Rory McIlroy, as both golfers have played out of Holywood Golf Club.

Currently ranked 110th in the Official World Golf Ranking, McKibbin has demonstrated his skills in recent tournaments. His most recent outing was a respectable T24 finish at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, which concluded the 2024 season. Earlier in the year, McKibbin achieved impressive results, including a T10 finish at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and a T11 finish at the DP World Tour Championship.

Tom McKibbin has chosen not to comment on the reports of his impending signing with LIV Golf, instead focusing on the ongoing Team Cup event in Abu Dhabi. McKibbin is representing Great Britain and Ireland, captained by Justin Rose and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald. The team also features Tyrrell Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood. When approached by Golf Digest, McKibbin respectfully declined to comment, stating, “I'm not gonna make any comments this week out of respect for Justin and Luke and this tournament.”

"I'm not going to make any comment this week"

Tom McKibbin addresses the reports that he has signed a deal with LIV Golf and Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team ahead of this week's Team Cup in Abu Dhabi on the DP World Tour

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McKibbin's decision to remain silent on the matter comes as LIV Golf prepares to kick off its fourth season with 14 events, starting on February 6 in Saudi Arabia. The 22-year-old golfer has already achieved significant success, turning pro in 2021 and winning the Porsche European Open in 2023. Last year, McKibbin finished runner-up in the Italian Open, and he has already secured a spot in the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush. McKibbin is also set to compete in the upcoming Dubai Desert Classic.

If McKibbin's reported signing with LIV Golf is confirmed, he will become the second golfer from Northern Ireland to join the breakaway league, following in the footsteps of former US Open champion Graeme McDowell.