New LIV recruit Tom McKibbin refuses to entertain reporter's Rory McIlroy question

Tom McKibbin has refused to divulge what was said between himself and Rory McIlroy as he contemplated joining LIV Golf. 

McKibbin sealed a reported $5m switch to the breakaway tour in late January after it emerged that McIlroy had advised the 22-year-old not to join LIV. 

Before the golfer put pen to paper on a two-year deal, McIlroy said he would be disappointed if McKibbin were to join LIV. 

McIlroy argued that it wasn't worth the sacrifice, given McKibbin was giving up dual membership on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, a potential spot in the European Ryder Cup team and access to major championships. 

He said there was plenty of money to make in the United States and Europe. 

Although he made it clear that he would never stand in his way and would respect the decision of the player he has mentored since he was a junior.

Both McIlroy and McKibbin played their junior golf out of Holywood in Northern Ireland. 

"If I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn't make that decision," McIlroy previously said. 

McKibbin was asked about their discussions before LIV's third event of 2025 in Hong Kong. 

"I'm not going to say what he said to me or what we talked about," he told reporters on Thursday.  

"Obviously I respect Rory a lot and I've been able to be very close to him the last four, five, six years and spend a lot of time with him. 

"Obviously I spoke to him, obviously, when the opportunity came around and we had a couple of conversations. 

"But ultimately, as I just said before, I just had a really good gut feeling about this, and it was something that excited me a lot. 

"It was something different for me. I sort of felt it was a good decision for me and something that I had to go with my feeling, and only I can sort of make my own decisions." 

McKibbin linked up with Jon Rahm's Legion XII team. 

Legion XIII recently announced a landmark deal with Callaway. 

He has started life with the PIF-backed league well, finishing in a tie for 15th in their curtain-raiser in Riyadh. 

McKibbin also finished in a share for sixth in Australia. 

Unsurprisingly, he claimed he has no regrets about his choice so far.

"It's something that I'm very happy I made," he said. 

"I've really enjoyed the last couple of weeks, and I think it's going to be a great thing for me and the whole thing going forward for the future."

Meanwhile, McIlroy has stated that he does not believe a deal to united the men's game is any closer despite talks between the PGA Tour, LIV and American president Donald Trump at the White House. 

McIlroy told reporters before the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill that a deal does not appear close and it never did. 

Tiger Woods claimed last month that he believed the best players in the world could be playing together sooner than anticipated. 

But McIlroy has now taken the position that he doesn't believe the established Tour needs to strike a deal. 

Asked about the hold up, McIlroy said: "It takes two to tango.

"If one party is willing and ready and the other isn't, it makes it tough.

"The landscape might have looked a little different then than it does now over these past couple of weeks.

"I think a deal would still be the ideal scenario for golf as a whole, but from a pure PGA perspective, I don't think it necessarily needs it."

Read more of McIlroy's thoughts here.