Rory McIlroy revealed that he tried his best to talk Tom McKibbin out of his expected move to LIV Golf.
McKibbin is set to join Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team on the Saudi backed tour and McIlroy admitted that the pair had several lengthy conversations on where the 22-year-old’s future lies.
McIlroy is adamant that McKibbin is making the wrong decision considering he worked so hard to earn his PGA Tour card in Dubai at the end of last year and given that this season is also a Ryder Cup year he thinks his fellow Holywood club mate would be sacrificing a lot of potential opportunities.
“I have known Tom since he was 10 years old, 11 years old, and as soon as he got the offer, he rang me,” admitted McIlroy ahead of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. “I just landed in New Zealand. We had a really good conversation. And I talked to him multiple times over the course of December to sort of get a feel for, you know, what he was thinking, and obviously what — you know, yeah, basically what he was going to do. And all I could do is give my perspective.
“I really like Tom as a person, as a player. I think he’s got a ton of potential. Look, I said to him, if I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice than the one you’re thinking of making. I think, you know, working so hard to get your Tour card in the States, something that he did, to achieve that goal last year was a big achievement.
“I think what he potentially is sacrificing and giving up with access to majors, potential Ryder Cup spot, depending on, you know, how he would play, it just wouldn’t have been — you know, depending — look, I don’t think anything is official yet.
“But if I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn’t make that decision.
But I’m not him. I’m not in his shoes. He’s a grown man at this point and can make his own decisions. All I can do is try to give him my perspective.
“Yeah, look, it would be — personally for me it would be a little disappointing if it were to happen but again, it’s not — I made it perfectly clear: I am not going to stand your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself.
“But at the same time, I feel like he’s giving up a lot to not really benefit that much, you know.”
McKibbin has long been tagged as the ‘next Rory McIlroy’ and the former Porsche European Open winner did seek McIlroy’s advice on his potential move.
“No, very open. Very open to hearing my perspective and I appreciated him calling me to get it, as well,” McIlroy added.
“But again, as I said, at the end of the day, he has to make his own decision, and when he does, whatever way that goes, I’m always going to be a fan of his. I’m always going to try to help him in whatever way that I can.”
McKibbin’s world ranking currently stands at 114 but it should rise this week and he would be afforded more opportunities to boost his ranking on the PGA Tour should he choose to play on that tour.
A move to LIV Golf however, would scupper his chances of climbing the rankings and earning the major championship exemptions that go with it and McIlroy believes McKibbin is capable of reaching the top-10 in the world someday.
“But you know, whatever way he chooses to go, you know, he’s going to live with it, which is totally fine. I think we all see the potential that he has, and I definitely think he can be a Top-10 player in the world. But obviously his ranking won’t show that for the next couple years if he makes one decision over another.”
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