McKibbin comes of age with brilliant maiden win in Hamburg

Tom McKibbin tees off during the Rolex Callenge Tour Grand Final at Alcanada Golf Club in Mallorca. Picture: Niall O'Shea

Holywood's Tom McKibbin became Irish golf's youngest DP World Tour winner since Rory McIlroy when he slayed the Green Monster and claimed the Porsche European Open in Hamburg.

Tied for the 54-hole lead with France's Julien Guerrier, Sweden's Alexander Bjork, Denmark's John Axelsen, England's Jordan Smith and Scotland's David Law, th 20-year-old brilliantly birdied the last to card three-under 70 to win by two strokes from France’s Julien Guerrier and German duo Marcel Siem and Maximilian Kieffer on nine-under-par at Green Eagle Golf Courses.

McKibbin birdied the fourth, seventh and ninth to take the lead and while he bogeyed the par-five 11th after being forced to take a penalty drop and then dropped another shot at the 13th, he birdied the par-five 15th and parred the 16th and 17th to head down the last with a one-shot lead.

Kieffer set the target with a 70 before being joined on eight-under by Siem, who was tied for the lead with McKibbin with three to play but bogeyed the par-five 16th.

McKibbin then hit a brilliant 205-yard third around a tree at the 18th to seven feet and calmly two-putted for victory with veteran caddie David McNeilly on his bag.

At 20, he's the youngest Irish winner on the DP World Tour since McIlroy won his maiden title at the Dubai Desert Classic at 19 in 2009.

“It’s pretty amazing,” McKibbin told Sky Sports. “It was just nice to go out there and put a really, really nice round together. I always thought I was good enough to win but to prove it today was pretty special. “I’ve learned a lot from failures, missing cuts by a shot, missing things very slightly so to take all those things I’ve learned and put them into play today was really nice. “It probably won’t sink in until tomorrow but to have my dad here – he comes most weeks – is pretty special. To win in front of him is amazing.”

Asked about his second shot to the 18th, McKibbin added: “It’s probably one of the best shots I’ve hit.

“It was sort of tricky and it wasn’t. I was trying to hit just at the right edge of the green and if it turned over I knew the water wasn’t in play because if I turned it over it would have went further.

“It looked really good on camera I’m sure, but it was an easier shot than laying up and hitting over the water I thought.”

By winning in just his 26th DP World Tour appearance, he becomes the second Northern Irishman to win the Porsche European Open, joining Darren Clarke (2001).

McKibbin excelled as a junior, winning the Junior Honda Classic and the Sage Valley Invitational out ofo Holywood Golf Club, receiving encouragement from McIlroy throughout his career.

He graduated from the European Challenge Tour by finishing tenth on the 2022 Road to Mallorca Rankings and moves to 23rd in the Race to Dubai Rankings and to around 159th in the world.

Padraig Harrington predicted McKibbin would “win quick” when he graduated to the DP World Tour and he was quick to offer his congratulations to the Holywood star and his former caddie on social media, predicting a big future for the Newtownabbey native.

“What a great win by @tommckibbin8,” he tweeted. “Not just a very talented golfer, he really is a nice lad.
“The future of Irish golf, European golf and Ryder Cup golf is in good hands.

“So happy for Dave McNeilly too, he did a fine job letting Tom play to his strengths.”