Northern Irish 19-year-old Tom McKibbin says comparisons to compatriot and world number one Rory McIlroy “do not faze him any more”.
McKibbin secured his DP World Tour card for next season with a superb closing 66 at the Challenge Tour’s Grand Final.
His performance in Majorca last week was his eighth top-10 finish on this season’s Challenge Tour.
“I don’t bother with comparisons any more. I try and stay out of it, don’t listen to any of that,” said McKibbin.
The teenager is the youngest Irish golfer since McIlroy to clinch a Tour card.
“Being compared [to Rory] is obviously a huge honour. I’ve heard it for so long, seven or eight years now, that it doesn’t even faze me any more. I’m used to it,” added the Galgorm Castle touring professional.
“Rory has been phenomenal. I’ve got to play a lot of golf with him and pick his brain. That has been a huge help.”
McKibbin went into last week’s event in Majorca 15th in the second-tier tour’s rankings and needing to remain in the top 20 to earn a full tour card.
After opening rounds of 73, 73 and 70, McKibbin had work to do, having dropped to 17th in the projected rankings.
However, his seven-birdie, six-under-par 66 sealed his card for next season as he finished in a share of sixth place in the tournament and 10th in the Challenge Tour rankings.
His best performances this season were a share of third at the Cape Town Open and second place at the Irish Challenge at the K Club.
McKibbin, who like McIlroy hails from Holywood in County Down, also finished tied for 10th in the DP World Tour’s World Invitational at Galgorm Castle in August.
‘A goal finally ticked off’
“It’s been a goal of mine for a while and I’ve finally ticked that off,” said McKibbin of sealing his DP World Tour card.
“There has been expectation but I haven’t put myself under any pressure. I’ve just tried to take every tournament as it comes and see how well I could do really.
“When I started to play well in the summer that made me think and see how far up the rankings I could go. My game has elevated.
“You have to try and do well, finish high up every single week.”
McKibbin, the 2015 World Junior Champion, turned professional 18 months ago after missing out on Walker Cup selection and also seeing his plans of undertaking a collegiate golf scholarship in the US not coming to pass because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a while, to have achieved it is pretty special,” he said.
“I’ll sit down in the next few days and have a look at next season’s calendar but I’ll probably start in South Africa in a few weeks.
“The Challenge Tour is a good stepping stone to feeling comfortable playing tournaments every week, maybe four or five events in a row, so I’ll take that experience into next year.
“I’ve done a lot in a short space of time but this is up there with the best. My game has got better every year since I was a kid going up the levels.”
