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Padraig Harrington believes Tom McKibbin’s shock move to LIV Golf could stall his burgeoning career.
It emerged last week that McKibbin, 22, is set to jump ship for the Saudi-backed LIV league, just two months after he claimed his first PGA Tour card.
The Northern Irishman, who has conspicuously refused to comment on the rumoured switch, is expected to join Jon Rahm’s XIII team ahead of LIV’s season opener in Riyadh next month.
McKibbin, the world No.114 who honed his skills at the same Holywood Golf Club as Rory McIlroy, had spoken of his “excitement” to play on the PGA Tour this year – but he will now forsake that privilege.
And that’s a decision that has certainly intrigued an observant Harrington.
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“Tom is in a great position, he’s progressed very nicely,” the Irishman told bunkered.co.uk here at the Emirates Club, where he is playing in the same field as McKibbin at this week’s Dubai Desert Classic.
“He’s done what he needs to have done. Got through the Challenge Tour, won on (the DP World) Tour. Going very nicely. It’s an interesting one. He was set to go to the US and everybody goes. He’s young and I think he still would have been better off learning to compete and win more in Europe and take a few starts in the States.
“If he stays focused in Europe for a few years he would become a prolific winner – and that would be nice at that stage. He’s gone to LIV so the question is with the smaller fields, no cut, would he get into contention more? If he gets into contention more its a good move.
“If he ends up in the middle of the pack, it’s not a good move, but nor would the PGA Tour have been a good move if he’s finishing 25th – 25th on the PGA Tour or 15th in LIV – you’re going to make double the money on LIV but you’re not learning anything.
“Wherever he is he’s got to be competing to win. I hope he’s gone to LIV with the intention that its a smaller field.”
McKibbin’s impending move was the elephant in the locker room at last week’s Team Cup, the Ryder Cup warm-up event in Abu Dhabi. He was paired with Tyrrell Hatton – his prospective new LIV teammate – in the Friday fourballs and impressed by winning three points from four for a dominant Great Britain and Ireland team.
• Former PGA Tour pro lands unique LIV role
• Ex-LIV star slams league in shock U-turn
But Harrington is now concerned that McKibbin is hampering his chances of making the European team by switching domains to LIV – where there are no Ryder Cup points on offer.
“The surprise is it makes it harder to make the Ryder Cup team and play in the majors,” the three-time major champion added. “He will tell you that’s his goal. The upside is if he gets in contention more often, but it still makes it harder.
“At his age he might be thinking the money is very attractive, but to be honest he’s on a nice progression, it won’t make a difference to him. I don’t think it’s life-changing money for him. If you were an amateur with no status, jump at it. It guarantees your future. His future was pretty guaranteed anyway.
“It’s all about the reasoning behind it. If he is going, is he going because he thinks he’s getting more chances to win? If that’s the case – great, but the downside is it’s going to make it harder to make the Ryder Cup team and play in the majors.
“In his progression, that’s what we were looking at. More wins, Ryder Cup, playing majors, competing in majors. That certainly stalls that.
“If he goes and wins on LIV, he could get picked for the Ryder Cup side. As long as he plays well and wins. If you play good golf, it takes care of itself. But he seemed to be on a nice progression.”
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