Tom McKibbin is in need of a big finish to his DP World Tour season to earn one of ten available PGA Tour cards for next year as well as getting his 2025 Ryder Cup qualifying campaign off to a good start, so the timing of his decision to part ways with veteran caddie Dave McNeilly and employ rookie looper Ricky McCormick is eye raising.
McKibbin had McNeilly on the bag since February of last year and it wasn’t long before he notched his maiden DP World Tour win last June. But despite having a very consistent season which saw the 21-year-old in position to earn one of ten PGA Tour cards for next year, three missed cuts in five events has prompted a change to McCormick ahead of this week’s Amgen Irish Open with three further Rolex Events remaining.
“No, he has not caddied for me before, before this,” McKibbin said of McCormick. “Yeah, just needed to switch it up a little bit. Obviously I had been playing well all year but yeah, I needed something different.
“And Ricky, and I’ve known him or 10, 11, 12 years. Someone that knows my game quite well, and he’s caddied for me before. I think bringing him out here, I’m very comfortable with him, and he does a good job for me.
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to spending more weeks with him.”
McKibbin has fallen to 17th in the Race to Dubai which is twelfth in the standings for the ten PGA Tour cards but he isn’t feeling the pressure as he targets a big finish to his season.
“A little bit, but now to the end of the year, the points have gotten so much bigger that I think there will be a lot of back and forward between everyone. So obviously want to push on to the end of the year and try and get one of those spots.
“I think if I can just play well and keep playing well till the end of the year and just see where that leaves me at the end. As I said, there’s a lot of points up for grabs, and I think if you can take advantage of those, they are pretty serious.”
The qualification system for next year’s Ryder Cup in Bethpage Black has also got underway and with the futures of LIV players Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton unclear it could open a spot for McKibbin on Luke Donald’s team.
The Holywood man was reluctant to give too much away on his aspirations for 2025 although he is expected to be part of the 2027 European side in Adare Manor.
“Yeah, I think so. I don’t really know. I wouldn’t really say I’ve set too many big goals like that. Obviously just try and let it happen.
“I think all of these things sort of grab everyone’s attention. But I think once you get out there and you start playing, I think those quickly go — for me, anyway, they quickly go out of my mind. I just go out there and play the golf course and see what’s the lowest score I can shoot.
“Obviously all these tournaments from now till next year, I’ll have those points. Obviously every tournament is very important, and I think sort of just keep trying to rack up the points will be important.
“But yeah, I think sort of maybe the way the points system works now, the way they have it structured, I think there’s a good opportunity from playing over here to try and do well.”
Before the 2023 edition the Hero Cup was played in Dubai between Europe and Great Britain and Ireland with Robert MacIntyre, Nicolai Hojgaard and Sepp Straka going on to represent Europe in Rome later that year.
“I think that would be something I would love to play. Seeing it the last time it was on, I think, yeah, I’d love to be a part of that next year,” added McKibbin.
Captain Donald is competing at Royal County Down this week but McKibbin isn’t feeling an extra incentive to impress.
“Not really, no. I mean, I know that’s why he’s here and he’s obviously here as well to play. He’s still a very good player and I’ve been lucky to play with him. For me, no, not really. Obviously he’s here to have a look at people, and that’s what he’s here to do.”
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