Rory McIlroy’s pal Tom McKibbin close to joining LIV just weeks after securing his place on the PGA Tour as Saudi-backed league switch up approach
- The Northern Irishman is friends with McIlroy and becomes the target of Legion VIII
- Ranked 110th in the world, LIV has taken a different approach to signing big names
Tom McKibbin is set to complete a shock move to the LIV circuit, just weeks after securing his place on the PGA Tour.
The Northern Irishman, who is friends with Rory McIlroy and emerged from the same Holywood Golf Club as the world number 3, is the target of Jon Rahm’s Legion VIII.
The proposed move will raise eyebrows across the sport, with the 22-year-old securing one of 10 cards on the PGA Tour in November through his results on the DP World Tour.
McKibbin is ranked 110th in the world and has already won one professional title. He has also been identified as a future Ryder Cup player by European captain Luke Donald.
The plan to sign McKibbin, who is packed with talent but has no profile outside of golf, comes at a point where LIV have noticeably shifted their strategy away from star recruitment.
After the string of top signings in the first three years, the circuit has only brought in three new faces since the end of the 2024 season.
Tom McKibbin is set to complete a shock move to the LIV circuit, just weeks after securing his place on the PGA Tour
The Northern Irishman is friends with Rory McIlroy and came from the same Holywood Golf Club as the world number 3
One month after the start of the new campaign in Saudi Arabia, there are no big names left.
LIV has had a turbulent winter, with Greg Norman recently confirming he will leave his role as CEO and merger talks between their Saudi backers and the PGA Tour slowly gaining momentum.