LIV Golf star shows true colours as he speaks about crowd reaction to Rory McIlroy

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

Rory McIlroy may have had to settle for finishing tied for seventh at The Open, but the wave of support for the Masters-winning superstar was unlike anything Tom McKibbin has ever seen
LIV Golf star Tom McKibbin has claimed he has never witnessed anything quite like the reception given to Rory McIlroy at The 153rd Open Championship. McIlroy was unable to claim his sixth major at Royal Portrush, as he and his fellow competitors could only look on whilst Scottie Scheffler cruised to victory to take the Claret Jug.
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Nevertheless, the 36-year-old received a hero's welcome when he stepped onto the course, with locals desperate to catch sight of the Masters champion.
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The highly-regarded McKibbin, who endured a disappointing Open Championship after missing the cut on day two, has now praised the Portrush spectators for their steadfast backing of McIlroy, who eventually secured a T7 finish.
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The youngster's comments display that, even though the support was largely reserved for McIlroy, whose pleas he famoulsy ignored to sign up to LIV Golf this year, he was still ecstatic to see his compatriot be given such a reception.
"Yeah, no, I didn't see the stuff on Sunday. I obviously seen it the first couple days, on the Friday," the 22-year-old said when questioned about the crowd's response to the Holywood-born star.
"I think he was finishing up when we were on the 12th or 13th, so you could obviously see them from very far away, and the crowds were incredible last week. It was something I hadn't seen before, and it was really good, the support that they showed everyone."
With speculation that future Open tournaments could return to Portrush – or Portmarnock – McKibbin was questioned about what teeing off at those venues for a major would mean to him, reports Belfast Live.
"I think Portmarnock is a great links course, probably one of the best in the country, and again, it's a very sort of special, special place, special golf club with a lot of history," the Northern Irishman said.
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"It's a very pure form of golf. As all the rumors are, the Open there would be pretty cool, and to sort of have two Open venues on the island would be pretty cool."
McKibbin has suffered from inconsistent form in the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit this year and blamed "silly" errors for his Open Championship woes.
"It's been a frustrating last two days. I've played some really nice golf," McKibbin told BBC Sport. "I think it's the best I've played in the four majors I've played in. There was just a few silly mistakes. It's very frustrating with the way I think I've been playing.
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"I birdied the first and made some really nice chances, and to drop those shots that I didn't think were too poor of a shot, they were more of a mistake, that's what more frustrating than anything."
McKibbin's switch to LIV notably grabbed McIlroy's attention, with the Northern Irishman urging him against joining the breakaway circuit.
Nevertheless, McKibbin opted to proceed anyway and has since revealed he harbours no regrets about rejecting the PGA Tour, whilst also explaining how competing alongside stars such as Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau has sharpened his skills.
"No, very happy," he told the Irish Independent in May when asked about any regrets over his move. "I've had a great time. Yeah, I'm very happy. I've been very fortunate to tee up alongside several stellar players who have shone in the majors and battle it out with them."