Report: Tom McKibbin told by major champ his LIV Golf money 'not life-changing'
Multiple major champion Padraig Harrington has questioned why Tom McKibbin has decided to snub a career on the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.
Padraig Harrington has questioned Tom McKibbin's reported switch to LIV Golf.
The 22-year-old has reportedly agreed a £4m ($3.3m) deal to join Jon Rahm's Legion XIII side.
McKibbin wouldn't discuss his future at last week's Team Cup out of respect for Luke Donald and Justin Rose.
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But he didn't deny the report either.
Harrington told bunkered ahead of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic he doesn't believe the cash will be 'life-changing' for McKibbin.
The two-time Open champ said McKibbin was on a decent career trajectory with good chance of success in Europe and in the United States.
"I'm not going to make any comment this week"
— Golf Digest ME (@GolfDigestME) January 8, 2025
Tom McKibbin addresses the reports that he has signed a deal with LIV Golf and Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team ahead of this week's Team Cup in Abu Dhabi on the DP World Tour
Full story on Golf Digest Middle East#LIVGolf #tommckibbin pic.twitter.com/S3hzQKwzvY
Now he has hindered his chances of competing in the Ryder Cup and qualifying for major championships, he said.
"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," he told the publication.
"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."
Harrington said that good golf will ultimately prevail.
In other words, if McKibbin plays well then he could still be involved in European Ryder Cup teams in the future.
He added: "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."
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