Rory McIlroy has expressed his disappointment with Tom McKibbin’s potential move to LIV Golf, saying he feels it is “not worth the sacrifice”.
McKibbin, who gave McIlroy a warm hug after winning his PGA Tour card late last season, looks poised to join the Legion XIII team of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in the Saudi-funded league.
The 22-year-old honed his game at the same Northern Ireland club as McIlroy and called the four-time major winner for advice on a potentially lucrative switch.
“I’ve known Tom since he was 10 or 11 years old and as soon as he got the offer, he called me,” McIlroy said before defending his title at the Dubai Desert Classic.
“I just landed in New Zealand. We had a really good conversation and I talked to him multiple times in December to kind of get a feel for what he was thinking and what he was going to do. And all I could do was give my perspective.
“I really like Tom as a person and as a player. I think it has huge potential. I told him: ‘If I were you, I would make a different choice than the one you are thinking about.’
“Working so hard to get his Tour card in the States, something he did to achieve that goal last year, was a big achievement.
“I think he’s potentially sacrificing and giving up, having access to majors, a potential spot in the Ryder Cup… if I were in his position and I had his potential, and I think I had it before, I wouldn’t make that decision.
“But I’m not him. I’m not in his shoes. At this point he is a grown man and can make his own decisions. All I can do is try to give him my perspective.
“Personally for me it would be a bit disappointing if that happened, but I will say it again. I’ve made it perfectly clear: I’m not going to stand in your way if you have to make a decision that you feel you have to make on your own.
“But at the same time, I feel like he’s sacrificing a lot to not really gain much.
“I think we all see his potential and I definitely think he can be a top ten player in the world. However, his ranking won’t show that for the next few years if he makes one decision over the other.
“No one knows exactly how much they will get [for joining LIV]. I would say there is still plenty of money to be made on the PGA Tour and DP World [European)] Trip.
“There is so much money in the game that some people say there is too much of it for the eyeballs we attract. Whatever benefits it may bring, I don’t think it’s worth the sacrifice for what it could potentially give up.”
McKibbin turned professional in April 2021 and won his first European Tour tournament in June 2023 at the European Open in Germany.
He declined to comment on a possible move at last week’s Team Cup in Abu Dhabi, where he helped Great Britain and Ireland to a resounding victory over Continental Europe.
