PGA Tour winner Smylie Kaufman thinks LIV Golf could soon overcome one of their major criticisms.
From Phil Mickelson to Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf have signed some of the biggest names in professional golf.
However, one could argue they have failed to develop any lesser-known players into stars over the past few years.
Well, Kaufman now believes LIV have a future superstar on their roster who could finally end that narrative.
Smylie Kaufman thinks LIV Golf have a future star
McKibbin made the controversial decision to reject a place on the PGA Tour and sign for LIV Golf in January 2024.
Many questioned whether the move would be detrimental to McKibbin’s development, but those doubters have been proven wrong.
The Northern Irishman enjoyed a solid season on LIV, finishing 20th in the standings, before winning the Asian Tour’s Hong Kong Open this month.
McKibbin qualified for The Masters and The Open with this victory, and it now looks like he has emerged as a top player.
Kaufman now thinks the 22-year-old will be LIV Golf’s first homegrown star and could even convince other European players to join the league.
“I would say one of the other big knocks on the LIV tour is that they haven’t created their own big stars, but they have a potential young star in the making with Tom McKibbin, who they can claim as their own,” Kaufman suggested.
“He was a good player on the DP World Tour, don’t get me wrong, but he wasn’t some world-beater like Rory McIlroy coming up.
“We were like, ‘This guy can be really good.’ He is 23 years old, made his way to the PGA Tour for one start, before signing on with Jon Rahm’s team, Legion.
“And that is where you start to wonder, is this a good avenue for young European players who have yet to take up PGA Tour status?
“If you go out and play well, Tom has made, I think, it’s like $5 million to this point. That is a big chunk of change in just a year, whether it be a signing bonus or what he’s made on the golf course.
“And now he is up in a decent spot in the world rankings. Winning the Hong Kong Open gets him into The Masters, so there is another way for a LIV Golf player to get in.”
Paul McGinley claims LIV Golf move has helped Tom McKibbin
European Ryder Cup legend Paul McGinley completely agrees that McKibbin made the right career choice.
Although the PGA Tour remains the premier tour by some distance, LIV Golf arguably provides a better opportunity for young players to progress.
“Going to LIV, I think, has benefited his career,” McGinley said. “He’s playing more regularly with better players. That’s always an important thing for any young player’s progress.
“Being lucky enough to be on the [Tyrrell] Hatton and Rahm team has helped him. He’s also making a lot of money, and that takes away a lot of pressure and gives him a bit more freedom in his golf.
“The way things are at the moment, with him not banned from the tour and waiting on an appeal, he is able to play quite a lot of DP World events on top of the LIV schedule.
“He’s been playing as much golf as he would have played if he had stayed with the PGA Tour. It’s all worked out very well for Tom so far.”
It certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see other up-and-coming European players follow in McKibbin’s footsteps this winter.
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