More Than A Member's Bounce: Tom McKibbin on an Open Championship Start in his Hometown

It’s hard to believe four years have passed since Tom McKibbin turned pro at the tender age of eighteen in 2021. The rising star from Belfast is now nearly six months into his LIV Golf career as he gave up both his DP World Tour and PGA Tour cards to join Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII’s team this winter.

Though facing fellow Holywood Golf Club member Rory McIlroy on a regular basis hasn’t panned out due to McKibbin’s move to LIV, the 22-year-old started strongly on the Saudi-backed Tour with three top 15s out of the gates to begin 2025. Though he’s cooled off a bit since then, the lad who grew up playing throughout Northern Ireland still qualified for big events like the U.S. PGA Championship at Quail Hollow where he tied for 50th.

McKibbin has a dream scenario ready to unfold right in front of him in this month’s long awaited 153rd Open Championship back at Royal Portrush along the stunning Antrim coast.

Tom McKibbin tees off on the first hole during Day One of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club. (Photo by Alex Pantling/R&A via Getty Images)

The Belfast native got his feet wet in his maiden Open Championship last year at Royal Troon. The 22-year-old ended up successfully making the cut and finishing in a tie for 66th and an unforgettable high came on Sunday as he played his final round with fellow Northern Irishman and 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke.

Now one year on, McKibbin feels fortunate about what’s ahead and for how long he’s spent circling down Open week for the summer of 2025 knowing this was about as good as it gets in majors for locals.

“I’m just really excited to play an Open at home-an Open at Royal Portrush, somewhere that I’ve played a lot of golf over the years,” McKibbin said. “I didn’t get to go to the last one. I was playing the U.S. Junior Amateur.”

The 2019 Sage Valley Junior Invitational winner made it through stroke play and into the round of 64 in that U.S. Junior Amateur at the Inverness Club

McKibbin would lose among those 64 on that Wednesday, July 17, and had to watch all four rounds of The Open at Portrush in the states-thousands of miles from one of the most historic weeks in the history of Irish golf.

Though the then 16-year-old missed an unforgettable week at home to possibly soak in some incredible memories as a spectator, fair play to him for investing in himself and delaying gratification to this moment and Northern Ireland’s return to the massive stage.

Rory McIlroy with Tom McKibbin (far left) who comes from McIlroy's home club of Hollywood in Belfast during practice for the 2016 World Golf Championships Dell Match Play. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

“Since the last Open at Portrush happened, it was always a big goal of mine to play in the next one. It was just so important to me,” McKibbin said. “I’ve been a member there at Portrush the last 10 years.”

Outside of Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke, McKibbin is the only other golfer from Northern Ireland in the field (as of press time), and one has to wonder just how many times the young star has played the Dunluce Links at Portrush.

Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Tom McKibbin on the 18th during a preview day ahead of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. (Photo by Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images)

“I’d say I’ve played it over 50 times. I used to go up there all the time and play it in the winter time when the courses were wet near home, so it’s a great place for me to play, it’s a wonderful place for golf,” McKibbin said.

Due to a hectic international travel schedule the last two years, McKibbin says he hasn’t played Royal Portrush recently. McKibbin played an astounding 31 events across the globe in 2023. In the DPWT’s 2024 season he made 27 starts in an eclectic schedule that also included his first ever major championship start at the U.S. Open.

McKibbin would be looking to regain some of his form from the end of last season on the DPWT where he amassed four top 11s in his last nine starts of the year.

So what does it take to play well at Portrush?

“You definitely need to drive the ball well there, that’s the most important thing. Approach play needs to be dialed in because there are a few greens that are raised and have quite big runoffs and falloffs and it’s hard to get up and down from there,” McKibbin said. “The par 3s are pretty strong as well. Everything has to be pretty sharp to score well over there. Weather is a big factor as well, and can make the course play even harder.”

Weather was also a huge part of the story in 2019, Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry dealt with heavy wind and rain on the final group in Sunday’s round that ultimately saw Lowry lift both arms and motion to the crowd to celebrate after his final approach on the 72nd hole. The Offaly (a country in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland) native would win by an incredible six-shot margin in a victory that still resonates with many of us for it’s poignant meaning to the country.

There’s a strong sense of pride for homeland that McKibbin is tapping into in these final days before the Open.

“I’ve got lots of pride for this. It’s just going to be amazing,” McKibbin said. “Not many people get to say that they’ve played in an Open only 45 minutes from their house they grew up in, so I think it’s going to be very special week and something I’m really looking forward to.”

Though he did not ultimately qualify, Graeme McDowell was very direct about the meaning of this year’s Open also at his hometown.

“2019 was a celebration, but this year’s going to be extremely special, mostly because of what Rory achieved at the Masters," McDowell said. I think it’s going to really be a party atmosphere and a lot of fun."

Tom Mckibbin of Northern Ireland tees off on the first hole during Day One of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)

Preparation for a major championship is critical for each player, and the processes understandably vary depending on how one likes to learn or in McKibbin’s case, re-acquaint themselves with a course.

So how granular does this get? Are McKibbin and his colleagues making adjustments to their pre-round routine for an Open Championship week as they would anticipate windy conditions and slower greens?

“I wouldn’t say there’s much difference in pre-round work preparing for an Open Championship, but I would definitely say that during a practice round you’re needing to get used to hitting a few more putts from off the green from a long distance,” McKibbin said. “The greens tend to be a good bit slower, especially with wind and stuff. This can also be a factor when you play somewhere else the week before with any kind of difference in green speeds it can be quite hard to get used to.

McKibbin has gathered what he considers a quick study approach for this disparity between courses and particular green speeds.

“I think hitting a lot of long lag putts is important when you’re in your practice round, and executing putts up and over slopes, and from off the green,” McKibbin said. “As far as on the range, into the wind, you’re needing to get a realistic view of how short the ball goes sometimes with the cold weather and the cold wind.”

Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland tees off on the 17th hole during day one of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Some players are better in windy condition than others. McKibbin still doesn’t consider himself as polished as he ideally would like when the winds pick up.

“I’ve definitely gotten better at it, and I used to be absolutely terrible at it,” McKibbin laughs. “When I was growing up I didn’t really enjoy it. I’ve always hit the ball quite high. Then when I was younger, I didn’t quite have the strength to flight the ball properly, and I didn’t quite know how to hit different shots. Whereas now I’m more prepared. I’ve played in some pretty miserable conditions, and I’m just getting used to seeing what my ball flight does. It can be quite interesting.”

Interesting indeed, and we’ll be watching every moment at Portrush.