Rahm backing McKibbin to shine on LIV Golf

McKibbin will make his LIV Golf debut next week in Riyadh alongside Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt.

The 22-year-old has done things his own way to date in his career having forged his pathway through the Challenge Tour as a teenager and onto the DP World Tour where he spent two full seasons, winning the 2023 Porsche European Open before securing a full PGA TOUR card in 2024 – which he will now forego after joining the Saudi backed tour.

Rahm has a love affair with the island of Ireland having won two Irish Open titles in Portstewart (2017) and Lahinch (2019).

“I love Irish people,” the Spaniard said in a Legion XIII preview with LIV Golf. “Me and the Northern Irish, right? I think he’s going to be a really good fit.

“Tom is used to travelling the world, which I think is a big key,” Rahm said.

American youngster Surratt found the going tough last season on his maiden campaign and Rahm feels it was due to his lack of international experience.

“One of the reasons why maybe Caleb had not a good year last year compared to his standards was the fact that he had to travel so much, and he wasn’t used to it.

“Tom is definitely used to it. The DP World Tour, they definitely are able to travel a lot. So, having a young, incredible talent with a bright future that’s used to travel is something very, very special.”

Surratt and McKibbin briefly crossed paths in their amateur days with the American spending just 18 months at the University of Tennessee before turning professional while McKibbin gave up on a place in Florida to enter the paid ranks.

“We both have similar paths, not really spending much or any time in college,” Surratt said. “I think it’s going to be really good for me to have a younger guy on the team as well because Jon and Tyrrell are so close.”

McKibbin is yet to speak since his move to LIV Golf was confirmed on Wednesday but it is expected that he will reveal his reasons for joining the breakaway tour in the pre-tournament press conferences next week.