LIV Golf looks poised to poach a rising star of the DP World Tour that has earned comparisons to superstar Rory McIlroy.
Two-time major winner Jon Rahm had been on the lookout for a new addition to his Legion XIII team after Kieran Vincent’s relegation.
Many suspected Vincent’s replacement would be Tony Finau, who shares a close friendship with Rahm and had been linked with a switch to the Saudi-backed venture in the past.
However, Finau’s appearance in the PGA Tour‘s season opening event at The Sentry confirmed he would not be making the jump, at least for now.
But Rahm appears to have landed his newest team member in the form of highly-rated Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin, per Ten Golf.
It is a coup for Rahm and LIV given 21-year-old McKibbin earned his PGA Tour card in November after he finished in the top ten players without a card during the DP World Tour‘s Race to Dubai.
McKibbin has reportedly signed a multi-year deal and joins Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt in the Legion XIII team.
He will become just the second Northern Irish player to have joined LIV following 2010 US Open victor Graeme McDowell, who joined in 2022.
Over the course of the 2024 season, McKibbin competed in 27 tournaments and placed in the top ten on eight occasions.
The 21-year-old’s best finish last year was at the Italian Open, where he went down to Germany’s Marcel Siem in a playoff.
McKibbin also competed in his first majors last year, finishing T41 and T66 at the US Open and The Open respectively.
He also has one win to his name, taking out the 2023 European Open.
Given his nationality and tremendous promise, McKibbin has drawn comparisons to McIlroy.
The pair have shared time on the fairways over the years and were even grouped together for the first two rounds of the 2024 Irish Open.
Speaking to the Belfast News Letter, McIlroy was proud to have witnessed McKibbin’s rise over the years and hailed his compatriot’s maturity.
“It’s been amazing to watch his journey and see him go from that little boy to become a European Tour winner and getting to play practice rounds with him at major championships… it’s cool to feel like I’ve had a tiny part in that journey,” McIlroy said.
“I’ve tried to help Tom as much as I feel he needs my help… I don’t feel like he needs much of my help but he knows if he has a question that I’m on the other end of the phone.
“Whether it was Darren Clarke or G-Mac (Graeme McDowell) or some of these guys who were putting their arm around me, I never sought out advice unless I really needed it and Tom seems to be the same.
“He knows what he needs to do and he’s a very mature young man. He doesn’t need much advice from me but he knows I’m here and I’m excited to play competitively with him.”
McKibbin has kept a cool head despite the hype and comparisons, insisting he pays little attention to the noise.
“It’s a huge honour to be compared to Rory and people like him,” McKibbin said in a Challenge Tour video.
“Obviously he is a tremendous talent and an unbelievable golfer. I have heard that line for years and have got so used to it. I don’t notice it or read any of it.
“It’s an honour to be compared, but it totally doesn’t bother me one bit at all. I don’t really focus on it.”
The 2025 LIV Golf season kicks off on February 6 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.