McKibbin continues hots start to rookie season with another top-18 finish
Tom McKibbin tees off during the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final at Alcanada Golf Club in Mallorca. Picture: Niall O'Shea
TOM MCKIBBIN appears to be closing inexorably on that maiden win predicted by Pádraig Harrington after closing with a six-under 66 to tie for 13th behind South Africa's Ockie Strydom in the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
Last week, Harrington predicted the Holywood teenager (19) would "win quick" on the DP World Tour and he appears determined to prove him right after following his tie for 18th in the Joburg Open and for 15th in the South African Open with his third successive top-20 finish.
As Strydom secured his maiden DP World Tour title in style, producing a back-nine birdie blitz to win by two shots with a closing 69 at Leopard Creek, McKibbin also made a move.
The Newtownabbey star began the final round tied for 40th alongside West Waterford's Gary Hurley, 11 strokes behind Strydom and Scotland's Scott Jamieson.
Starting on the 10th, he opened with three birdies in his first four holes, bogeyed the 18th to turn in two-under, but then scorched home in a brilliant 31 to earn a cheque for €22,575 and take his earnings for the first three events of the 2023 season to €52,543 (27th in the Race to DP World Tour Rankings).
He started for home with birdies at the first and second, then made his second eagle two of the week at the 311-yard sixth, holing a 10 footer, before following by a birdie at the 195-yard seventh with a bogey at the eighth to finish tied 13th on 10-under-par.
He still has a chance to win as a teenager as he joins Hurley and John Murphy in this week's AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open before he turns 20 on 19 December.
“I’m really happy with the top 20’s and will try to improve on them again this week,” McKibbin said. “It’s been nice to keep moving in the right direction each week, but will definitely be ready for the break over Christmas.”
It was also another good week for fellow rookie Hurley (29), who shot 68 to make the cut with two shots to spare and followed up with weekend rounds of 71 and 70 to tie for 32nd on six-under and pick up €12,225 to go to 65th in the Rankings.
As for Strydom, the overnight joint leader went birdie-bogey-birdie-double bogey from the sixth before reeling off birdies at the tenth, 11th, 13th and 14th to open up a commanding three-shot lead that proved decisive.
The veteran Sunshine Tour player (37) closed with four straight pars to win by two strokes on 18-under par from Spain's Adrian Otaegui, who posted a bogey-free 68.
"It feels good," said Strydom, who won in his 38th DP World Tour start, 13 years after his debut and can now look forward to a season on the European circuit. "I've finally done it. To do it on Leopard Creek as well is something special. It's the bush. I'm calm in the bush. My first win was in the bush and now we're back in the bush. I'm just happy."
Austria’s Emma Spitz holds a two-shot lead at halfway in the LET Q-School Pre-Qualifier – Europe at La Manga Club.
Players finishing in the top 62 and ties after 72 holes will progress to the Final Stage but Victoria Craig is seven shots outside the mark, tied for 113th at halfway with Abigail O'Riordan a shot further back in 120th.
