<p>Tom McKibbin. Picture: Niall O’Shea</p>
Hollywood teenager Tom McKibbin credited his fighting spirit and consistency as key after he closed with a six-under 66 to become the youngest Irish player since Rory McIlroy to clinch his DP World Tour card at the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A in Mallorca.
The Newtownabbey native (19) finished tied sixth on six-under par at Club de Golf Alcanada, just three shots behind Nathan Kimsey, to finish 11th in the Road to Mallorca standings and secure one of 20 DP World Tour cards for 2023.
“It was a lovely way to finish it was especially around this course it's pretty tricky and spots so to shoot six under today was pretty nice,” McKibbin said after rolling in a 12 footer at the last for his seventh birdie of the day.
“Everything was just pretty solid. I hit it nice off the tee and into the greens. Putted well. Everything was just really, really tidy and I just took advantage of the par fives and took every chance when I got really.”
As for securing his card to become the youngest Irish tour player since McIlroy won his card on a handful of invitations at 18 in 2007, he said: “Yeah, very, very, very pleased. Obviously the goal at the start of the year was to do that so to tick that off was pretty special. So yeah, it should be a good year next year.“
McKibbin racked up eight top-10 finishes in 23 starts this year but credited the weeks where he had high finishes when he’d been in danger of missing the cut as the real difference makers.
“It's a great place to play and really see where your game’s at,” he said of the Challenge Tour. “The standard is just phenomenal so you have to be on it every week, especially at some of the courses that are that are a little bit easier. The scores are just through the roof.
”I've just played a lot and had a lot of top tens and a few top fives. So that's probably really been the key, but I guess I’ve just been really consistent.
“I feel out here you need a lot of big results to get get through. So if you're sort of middle of the pack, it's not really good enough. So you have to be up there nearly every week.“
As for what he’s learned about himself, McKibbin said: ”I just learned that I'm good enough and I can put these good events in and shoot some very low scores on some harder courses
“I guess a lot of the top tens, a few were just scraping in to make the cut and I ended up finishing in the top 10 or had a really good week. So probably those are the ones that have been really key.
“I could easily have finished 30th or 40th so just really digging in at those and finishing well has been very, very vital.”
As for making his boyhood dreams come true by clinching his tour card, he said: “It’s very exciting. Obviously, I've always watched it on the TV and to be playing that next year will be pretty special. So yeah, looking forward to it.”
Kinsale’s John Murphy tied for 39th on seven-over after a 75 to finish 44th in the Rankings.
However, he will have one more chance to improve his status by winning DP World Tour playing rights at next week’s six-round Final Stage of the Qualifying School in Tarragona.
He will be joined there by the exempt Paul Dunne and Jonathan Caldwell and former Walker Cup players Gary Hurley and Cormac Sharvin, who were the only players from the 12-strong Irish contingent to come through the Second Stage at four Spanish venues yesterday.
Hurley closed with a level par 71 to tie for 16th at Emporda while Sharvin shot a six under 65 to finish a brilliant tied fourth on 12-under at Las Colinas in Alicante having slumped to a nightmare four over par after two holes in Thursday’s opening round.
There was disappointment for Stuart Grehan as he missed by two shots at Emporda after a 70 and for Jonny Yates after he missed by one at Isla Canela in Huelva on 14-under despite shooting four rounds in the sixties.
Conor O’Rourke also missed by one stroke after closing with a one-over 73 at Desert Springs where Ruaidhri McGee was a shot further back after a 74.
DP World Tour Qualifying School, Second Stage
Emporda Golf, Girona, Spain (23 spots, -5)
T16 Gary Hurley 66 71 69 71 (-7) Q
T30 Stuart Grehan 67 74 70 70 (-3)
T33 Conor Purcell 74 69 69 70 (-2)
T59 Paul McBride 71 76 71 72 (+6)
Las Colinas Golf & Country Club, Alicante (22 spots, -4)
T4 Cormac Sharvin 69 68 70 65 (-12) Q
T36 Dermot McElroy 71 68 74 72 (+1)
WD Niall Kearney 70 72 76 WD (+5)
Desert Springs Golf Club, Almeria (23 spots, -7)
T25 Conor O’Rourke 68 69 72 74 (-6)
T39 Ruaidhri McGee 69 71 69 74 (-5)
T56 Gavin Moynihan 76 74 71 71 (+4)
T60 Robert Moran (am) 77 73 71 72 (+5)
Isla Canela Links, Huelva (22 spots, -15)
T26 Jonathan Yates 68 69 68 69 (-15)
Article Link: McKibbin clinches card as Sharvin and Hurley make Final Stage of Q-School - News - Irish Golf Desk