Playing with McIlroy has been the 'highlight' of McKibbin's year
Mcilory Second Mckibbin Round Picture: ©inpho/ben Rory The Tom At During And Brady The 2024 Open Irish
The golf Tom McKibbin has played on the DP World Tour this season suggests the 21-year-old can be the next great golfing export from these shores but this week he has been as starstruck around Rory McIlroy as the hundreds of spectators who have follow the pair at Royal County Down.
McKibbin, from the same club as McIlroy at Holywood in the eastern Belfast suburbs, has graduated from outside the ropes to inside these past two years on tour but even though he occupies a very respectable 17th place in the Race To Dubai standings on the official Back Nine of the order of merit contest, the 2023 Porsche European Open winner has relished his two days as McIlroy’s playing partner even more.
McIlroy holds a commanding lead at the top of the Race To Dubai rankings with just eight events to play once the tour departs Royal County Down and he has stolen a march on his clubmate over the first 36 holes.
Yet McKibbin has done enough to make the halfway cut on one over par thanks to a second-round, two-under 69 on Friday which put him in a good frame of mind to wax lyrical about his two days of championship golf alongside the world number three.
“It was awesome. First time competitively, I've been very lucky to play with him a lot sort of casually. But yeah, these last two days were pretty cool,” McKibbin said.
“I've been coming to this tournament since I've been nine or 10 years old and watching Rory and seeing those crowds, and then get to play in them with him was pretty cool. It's probably definitely the highlight of my year so far.”
Not that his own golf has been a disappointment, McKibbin particularly enjoying the third and final birdie of his second round at the par-four ninth, sinking a 17-foot putt.
“That was a lovely putt there on the last... But to shoot an under-par round today, very happy and hopefully continue on for the weekend. Pretty solid round of golf. A lot of scrambling. To shoot a couple under with what I don't feel is my best stuff is pretty nice.
“We got quite nice conditions there today. The course definitely played a lot easier but saying that, if you're still not on your game, the golf course is so hard. It really just can eat you up very quickly and it's very stressful.”
Adding to the stress levels for Saturday’s third round will be that tougher weather conditions which have been forecast but McKibbin is eyeing an opportunity on a course he knows so well.
“Yeah, absolutely. I think the scores are still bunched. A couple of good rounds, you can definitely shoot yourself up the leaderboard. If I can maybe try and finish the tournament under par, I would be pretty happy.
“I feel like if I can tidy up some things, some iron shots, and try to get a couple more under-par rounds, I'll be pretty happy.”
