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Tom McKibbin set for third Major start after receiving late PGA Championship invite

Tom McKibbin set for third Major start after receiving late PGA Championship invite

The 22-year-old will tee it up at the North Carolina venue having been given one of three late invites by the PGA of America, along with fellow LIV player David Puig and DP World Tour member Elvis Smylie.
McKibbin competed in last year's US Open and Open Championships, making the cut at both, but missed out on a place at this year's Masters Tournament after his defection to LIV.
The former European Open champion earned his PGA Tour card at the end of last year's DP World Tour season but opted instead to join the Saudi-backed breakaway circuit, linking up with Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team.
Now ranked 115th in the world, McKibbin has racked up two top-ten finishes on LIV this season and currently ranks 22nd in the individual standings.
McKibbin's inclusion means there will be two Northern Irishmen in the field at Quail Hollow, the other of course being recently crowned Masters champion Rory McIlroy who will now set his sights on a calendar Grand Slam after completing the career Grand Slam at Augusta.
It will be the first time the pair have played in the same tournament since January's Hero Dubai Desert Classic, with McKibbin's move to LIV Golf confirmed shortly after, a decision that McIlroy expressed his disappointment with.
"Personally, for me, it would be a little disappointing if it were to happen,' said McIlroy just before the move was officially confirmed.
"But I made it perfectly clear: I am not going to stand your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself.
"At the same time, I feel like he's giving up a lot to not really benefit that much."
There has been some controversy as Australia's David Herbert, who is fifth in LIV's individual standings, has not been given an invite to the PGA Championship but McKibbin and Puig, who is seventh in LIV, have.
Meanwhile, Smylie is 202nd in the world rankings but did win the BMW Australian PGA Championship in November, which appears to have worked in his favour.

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