Rory McIlroy protege speaks out on LIV Golf links as PGA Tour set to be wounded

Tom McKibbin is poised to join LIV Golf (Image: Getty)

Tom McKibbin has refused to comment on reports linking him with a move to LIV Golf.

McKibbin, who secured a PGA Tour card at the end of last season, looks poised to joined the Legion XIII team of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in the Saudi-funded breakaway league.

The 22-year-old, who honed his game at the same club as fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, is competing for GB&I in this week's Team Cup in Abu Dhabi.

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Asked about the potential move, which was first reported by Spanish website TenGolf, McKibbin said he would not make any comments this week "out of respect" for his Team Cup GB&I captain Justin Rose and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

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"It's a team event, so [I'm] just trying to give my best to the team and see how many points I can get," he added in a brief interview with Golf Digest Middle East.

Kibbin turned professional in April 2021 and won his first DP World Tour event in June 2023 at the Porsche European Open in Germany.

He shared a warm embrace with McIlroy when he secured his PGA Tour card in Dubai in November, but looks set to give up his playing rights on the United States-based circuit.