Tom McKibbin believes the extra practice time afforded between events on LIV Golf has helped him step up to the mark at Quail Hollow as he comfortably made the cut to continue his unsung progress in majors.
It’s a hat trick of weekend appearances in as many major championships for McKibbin who leads the Irish challenge going into the final 36 holes on one-under-par, seven shots behind Jhonattan Vegas.
Finding fairways has been key for the Holywood man who ranks 24th in driving distance and 37th in strokes gained off the tee and he credits more intense practice since joining LIV as the catalyst for his newfound distance with the big stick.
“I think it’s prepared me quite well”, he told the 42. “I have got to play with a lot of great players and when I came here I felt a lot more comfortable. Especially in the last couple of weeks the pins out there [on LIV] have been very difficult, and when I came here this week they haven’t actually felt too bad. I think it’s prepared me quite nicely.”
The 22-year-old may be one of the new kids on the block when it comes to major championships but a very solid performance through two rounds has been of a certain vintage with a six-year-old set of irons in his bag for this week.
McKibbin carded his first ever under par round in a major on Thursday with a one-under 70 and came agonisingly close to repeating the feat with one birdie and sixteen pars being broken by a bogey on the 18th which is by no means a disgrace.
Mudball debates have dominated the first two days in Charlotte and not even McKibbin could get through the first 36 holes completely clean as his second shot to the 18th veered off course.
“It was my first one of the week, so very lucky”, said McKibbin. “Obviously it’s quite tricky and it went a little bit left which wasn’t nice, but I got away with them on the first 35 holes so I was bound to get one at one point.”
McKibbin passed treacherous tests at Pinehurst and Troon with flying colours last year while the examination this week is more of precision with finding the fairways a must to have control with approach shots into the firm greens which have been dried out by sub air systems.
“I’m as calm as I can be”, said McKibbin.
“It’s very daunting and very uncomfortable out there sometimes. One bad swing, one bad shot and you can easily make a double out there. You’re on the edge of your seat over every shot and praying you get a good one.”
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