Tom McKibbin was all smiles as he teamed up with fellow Northern Ireland-born legendary jockey AP McCoy, riding an impressive eight birdies for a superb seven-under-par 65 over the famed Old Course at St Andrews on the opening day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
McKibbin, 22, capped his round with a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth to seventh holes and a second run of three birdies in succession from the 10th to 12th holes. He added an eighth birdie to finish the opening day of the $5m championship in a share of seventh place.
Three players, including McKibbin’s opening-round playing partner Matthew Jordan, lead the field across the three host courses at nine-under-par. Jordan sensationally capped his round with back-to-back eagles at the fifth and sixth holes. Also tied at the top are American Ryan Brehm, who signed for a nine-under-par 63 at Kingsbarns Links, and Dutchman Darius Van Driel, who matched that score at Kingsbarns.
Double Major winner Dustin Johnson, contesting his first Dunhill Links since 2012, played at Carnoustie and shares the lead with an impressive bogey-free 68, including an eagle and six birdies.
“I came over with Wayne [Gretzky], obviously, as he is also part of this week, but I just love playing in the Dunhill,” said Johnson. “The last couple of years, it just didn’t fit my schedule, but this year I had some time off, and it worked out. I want to play a bit more, so I might compete in a few more tournaments out here next year.”
Johnson has contested only two Dunhill Links events, in 2011 and 2012, and his only other appearance at Carnoustie was in the 2018 Open Championship.
The Callaway-sponsored McKibbin is playing his first DP World Tour event since a T11 finish at the recent BMW PGA Championship. This week marks only his eighth World Ranking counting event of 2025, and he noted earlier this week that he is not due to tee up on the LIV Tour again until February. No wonder, then, that McKibbin sounded eager to make the most of his appearance at the Home of Golf.
“It was a good day with a lot of birdies on my scorecard, and it’s my lowest score around the Old Course, so I was delighted,” said McKibbin.
McKibbin began his birdie haul by holing a superb 16-footer at the par-4 second hole. His birdie run gained momentum with a two-putt from 23 feet at the par-5 fifth hole—one of only two par-5s on the historic course—followed by a two-putt for a ‘4’ from 22 feet at the sixth. He secured a tap-in birdie at the short 10th hole, a great 13-footer for a birdie two at the par-3 11th, and a sixth birdie at the par-4 12th. He reached eight-under with a birdie on the 14th, with his only hiccup being a three-putt at the par-4 ‘Road Hole’ 17th.
Waiting to greet McKibbin was his proud mum, Sarah, who was in discussion with 60-year-old Piers Morgan, the renowned English broadcaster, journalist, writer, and media personality, and Jordan’s partner this week. Morgan was overheard praising McKibbin’s excellent performance over the famed St Andrews layout.
“It was great being out with AP McCoy as my amateur partner, while Matthew and Piers were also excellent company,” said McKibbin. “It was just a nice day out on the Old Course, as I’ve always found it a little tough each time I’ve played it. Getting off to a great start took a lot of pressure off my game, and it was nice to take advantage of the good scoring conditions. Jordan played exceptionally well, while AP and Piers contributed superbly. The whole atmosphere was a lot of fun, and we all had a great day out there.”
When asked what he thought he did well, McKibbin remarked: “I putted quite nicely, and my short game was pretty good, especially on some of the short par-4s and par-5s. I just seemed to hit everything well.”
Leave a comment