Whether it has been forced or not, there is no question that LIV Golf appears to be moving in a new direction heading into 2025 with their roster all but complete ahead of the new season.
Previously, the winter had probably been an anxious time for many at the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. LIV Golf has upset the apple cart with a number of big name signings which have ensured that the league is going to have a seat at the table as golf’s future is decided.
But ahead of 2025, there have not been any signings which have really rocked the boat. The likes of Yubin Jang and Frederik Kjettrup are yet to play regularly on one of the main tours. Meanwhile, Stinger’s decision to re-sign Branden Grace made a mockery of the idea of ‘relegation’ on LIV.
Perhaps the most impressive deal is yet to come. It was recently reported that Tom McKibbin was set to join Legion XIII. McKibbin earned his PGA Tour card for 2025 through the DP World Tour last year. However, he now appears set to pass up the opportunity.
Tom McKibbin’s reported decision to join LIV Golf questioned
The Northern Irishman looks to have a very bright future ahead. So it could prove to be a coup for LIV Golf. But perhaps it could also be a mistake from McKibbin.
Certainly, he will hurt his chances of qualifying automatically for the 2025 Ryder Cup team. And speaking on The Chipping Forecast podcast, Eddie Pepperell admitted that he is somewhat baffled by the decision that McKibbin is reportedly set to make.
“I was really surprised. I think I wondered if at first this precludes something that we don’t know, that he does, via Rory and his association with Rory but that is me being, as is often the case, speculative,” he said.
“I would be more saddened in a way to find out that isn’t the case and he has just gone for $5 million, which I would just find so odd. Given the position he is in and the progress that he has been making. This is a really weird decision I think. I don’t know what advice he’s been given for that but I don’t think it’s particularly good advice and not to mention the role Jon Rahm is playing in this, in targeting Tom McKibbin.
“I think Jon Rahm knows what he is doing. Tom McKibbin is a symbolic signing. Let’s be honest, he’s not a household name and he’s not going to change the fortunes of LIV in the medium or long term but it is symbolic and it’s got us talking about LIV at a time when the rest of their signings have been fairly dismal. I am just slightly bewildered.”
How LIV Golf has let players down since starting up
As Pepperell notes, McKibbin has perhaps been given word that talks are heading in the right direction between the PGA Tour, the DP World Tour and the PIF. And of course, playing on LIV leaves the door open for the 21-year-old to still play on the DP World Tour when his schedule allows.
Playing closely with Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton could also be hugely beneficial. There seems to be absolutely no chance of Luke Donald leaving either player out of the Ryder Cup team for Bethpage Black if they are fit and available. And clearly, they are likely to back McKibbin if Donald seeks their opinion.
But LIV’s stock has arguably fallen over the last couple of years. Rahm’s move did not change the game as some may have expected. And it is telling that no big names have made the jump in recent months.
It definitely appears to be a risk, as highlighted by Eugenio Chacarra criticising LIV upon his departure from the league. The Spaniard said promises were made about world ranking points which came to nothing. And he is now facing a real fight to make it onto the PGA Tour anytime soon.
Had McKibbin not earned his PGA Tour card for 2025, it would perhaps be a little more understandable. But it seems that he has decided that that pathway was not the right one for him.
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