McKibbin looking forward to joining fellow Holywood star McIlroy on PGA Tour

Rory McIlroy hugs Tom McKibbin after their successes in the DP World Tour Championship. McKibbin earned his PGA TOUR card while McIlroy claimed the title and his sixth Race to Dubai.

Tom McKibbin is looking forward to testing himself alongside his hero Rory McIlroy on the PGA Tour after snatching one of ten dual cards with a gutsy closing birdie in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

The Holywood star (21) closed with a rollercoaster, level par 72 to edge out England’s Jordan Smith by just 10.5 Race to Dubai points as he hit the 18th in two and two putted for a crucial birdie four.

“Yeah, very exciting,” McKibbin said after recovering from bogeys at the 15th and 16th that left him briefly outside the top 10 points winners who secured cards.

“Yeah it would be great to be over there on the PGA TOUR, a tour I've watched for a long time, and it will be great over there and play some golf.”

It was a nervy day for the Co Antrim man, who was tied for seventh overnight, four shots behind the leaders, and projected ninth in the battle for those 10 cards.

He started with six straight pars but he could never quite get the momentum he needed to ease the pressure as he bid to join his mentor on the US circuit.

After a birdie at the seventh, he overshot the eighth and made bogey, then followed a birdie at the 14th with back to back bogeys at the 15th and 16th to find himself 11th in the standings, just 3.0 Race to Dubai points behind Smith.

He shaved the hole with a long range birdie chance at the 17th before claiming that card by hitting a great drive and a 232-yard fairway wood to 30 feet at the 18th before calmly two putting for birdie.

“I think it was a tough one,” McKibbin said of the nerves he faced all day. “I mean, sort of wanting to finish the tournament as best I can, knowing that was on the line, a hard golf course and pretty tricky day.

"Especially 17, 18, I feel like you don't have to hit too poor of a shot find the water and luckily I hit pretty good ones.”

As for competing on the PGA Tour, he’s looking forward to the challenge having followed in McIlroy footsteps  by winning three big events there as a junior.

He showed he has the came to compete with the best when he finished tied for 41st with world number one Scottie Scheffler in the US Open on his major debut at Pinehurst in June, matching the game’s best player shot for shot in a closing 72.

“I think so,” said the Holywood star, who also made the cut on his debut in The Open at Royal Troon.

“Seems like I like to play on some of the harder courses and that suits my game a little more, so it will be exciting to get over there and see how it goes.”
Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard claimed the top card with South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, England’s Paul Waring, Sweden’s Jesper Svensson, Dane Nicklas Norgaard, Italy’s Matteo Manassero, Dane Thorbjorn Olesen, Frenchman Antoine Rozner, Japan’s Rikuya Hoshino and McKibbin claiming the others.

McIlroy paid tribute to his Holywood clubman afterwards.

“I was looking at the leaderboard and I saw Tom got in the top 10 and I thought okay, good, and when I was walking off the last, I didn't see his name and I see him before I signed my card and he was congratulating me, and I didn't want to ask -- I said, ‘Yay or nay?’ And he said, ‘Yes.’

“I'm happy for him. That was a massive goal for him was to get one of those ten cards and go play in America. Super happy for him.

“Rasmus has had a fantastic year and to get a card to get into some of those signature events, as well, is very important.

“I think Europe has a lot of good young players and that obviously bodes well for the future for European golf for Ryder Cups. It's an exciting question.”

McIlroy added: “He's done amazingly well, and I think his game is going to be suited for America. He hits the ball high. Hits it long. He won in Germany last year, The European Open. He's had chances this year; the playoff against Marcel in Italy, and he's been very, very consistent. For a guy that's only 21 to show that level of consistency, that bodes well for the future.

“Obviously very, very happy for him and excited he achieved one of his big goals this year and getting one of those cards.”