19-year-old Tom McKibbin has become the youngest Irish golfer since Rory McIlroy to secure their full DP World Tour card, after a tied-sixth finish at the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca.
It gave him a 10th place overall finish in the Road to Mallorca, with the top 20 receiving their full cards for next season.
John Murphy, Paul Dunne, Cormac Sharvin, Jonathan Caldwell, and Gary Hurley, will all be aiming to secure DP World Tour playing rights winning at next week’s six-round Final Stage of the Qualifying School in Tarragona.
“Everything was just pretty solid," said Tom McKibbin after his closing round of 66. "I hit it nice off the tee and into the greens. Putted well. Everything was just really, really tidy and I just took advantage of the par fives and took every chance when I got really.”
Tom McKibbin Secures DP World Tour Card
25 September 2020; Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland watches his tee shot from the second tee box during day two of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Golf Championship at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort in Ballymena, Antrim. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
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“It's a great place to play and really see where your game’s at," continued McKibbin. "The standard is just phenomenal so you have to be on it every week, especially at some of the courses that are that are a little bit easier. The scores are just through the roof.
”I've just played a lot and had a lot of top tens and a few top fives. So that's probably really been the key, but I guess I’ve just been really consistent.
“I feel out here you need a lot of big results to get get through. So if you're sort of middle of the pack, it's not really good enough. So you have to be up there nearly every week.“
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