Pepto Problems
‘I was sh*tting myself’: Tom McKibbin offers frank assessment of his last few holes while chasing PGA Tour card
Mateo Villalba
You could argue that no one, not even eventual winner Rory McIlroy, had more riding on their closing stretch at the DP World Tour Championship than Tom McKibbin. The 21-year-old found himself on the bubble heading to the 72nd hole on Sunday, needing a birdie to secure a 2025 PGA Tour Card. Thankfully, he avoided the water on his first two shots and drained his birdie putt to earn dual golf citizenship for the coming season.
After his round, McKibbin was asked how he was feeling those final few holes with so much on the line, and the young lad didn’t mince words.
Maybe you don’t appreciate the language, but we can all appreciate the sentiment. The Northern Irishman—who hails from Rory McIlroy’s hometown of Holywood—was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime on Sunday. With all the upheaval in pro golf, plus the ever-looming threat of injury and swing changes, there was no telling if he would get the chance again, so he reached out and seized the moment with both hands.
That’s not to say he didn’t blink, however. McKibbin, who spent much of the day in the final transfer position, threatened to throw it all away with the bogeys on the 15th and 16th holes. That left him on the outside looking in headed to the 18th hole, but he overcame those (ahem) messy nerves when he needed to most.
The sh*tty gritty performance even impressed McIlroy, who, having just conquered some demons of his own, made sure to congratulate McKibbin after his round.
"I was looking at the leaderboard today and saw Tom was in the top 10 and thought 'okay, good.' When I was walking off the last I didn't see his name," McIlroy told reporters.
"I saw him before I signed my card and he was congratulating me. I didn't want to ask but I was like 'yay or nay?' and he said 'yes' … [I’m] very, very happy for him and excited he achieved one of his big goals this year."