McKibbin wins Bridgestone Boys Order of Merit

Tom McKibbin. Picture: Pat Cashman Photography

Holywood star Tom McKibbin won the Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit for 2019 following a superb season.

McKibbin (16) won the Peter McEvoy Trophy in April and made his second appearance at the Jacques Leglise Trophy in August. 

The Belfast teenager also featured for Ireland at the European Boys Team Championship, where he was Ireland’s leading player in stroke play qualifying, and the Boys Home Internationals.

Further afield, McKibbin enjoyed success in the United States. A week after winning the McEvoy, he captured the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. Other notable performances included a sixth place finish on his debut at the Lytham Trophy in May. 

His displays during the year also prompted interest from Ireland’s selectors and McKibbin earned his senior first cap at the Home Internationals in Lahinch.

Connemara’s Luke O’Neill, who won the German Boys Championship in June, finished second in the season-long points race. 

The Galway talent accumulated the same number of points as the winner but lost out overall as McKibbin amassed the most points in a single event.

This Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit recognises the leading performers across the season. As part of the new format, the top three players earned automatic selection on the Ireland team for the Boys Home Internationals.

Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit Top 10

1 Tom McKibbin (Holywood) 241

2 Luke O'Neill (Connemara) 241

3 Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin) 202

4 Aaron Marshall (Lisburn) 169

T5 Joseph Byrne (Baltinglass), Joshua McCabe (Roganstown) 129

7 Joshua Hill Galgorm Castle) 89

8 Sean Doyle (Black Bush) 74

9 Dylan Keating (Seapoint) 67

10 Josh Mackin (Dundalk) 64