Initiating your career at one of the most challenging examinations on the US Open tour appears like an intense commitment, but for young Northern Irish professional, Tom McKibbin, aged 21, it’s an opportunity that has arrived rather early. Already having bagged a victory in his preliminary time on the DP World Tour, McKibbin is today taking his first stride into a Major, which is undoubtedly a promising start for his impending career.
A composed youthful figure managing the intricacies of the Pinehurst No.2 test, McKibbin has invested significant time developing his short game skills. His initial nine-hole run gave him insight into the challenges he will face, exemplified by a shot to the 18th which saw his ball roll back down the ramp at the front.
Secured via the qualifying avenue at Walton Heath in the past month, McKibbin’s first appearance in a Major shows his career progression. With an evident sense of humour – a mandatory characteristic in this profession – he jests about the experience of his veteran caddie, Dave McNeilly, who despite having caddied for a century has never visited this site.
Stating about McNeilly, he said, “Interestingly, he’s never been here before even after a century of caddying,”. However, he then added, “But, it is beneficial to have him with me, given his extensive experience in Majors”.
In his debut season last year on the tour, McKibbin triumphed in the Porsche European Open. This strong start continues as he currently stands 25th in the Race to Dubai ranking and is in contention for one of the 10 available PGA Tour cards through that route at the end of the season.
Being a debutant at the US Open this week comes after a year of growth since he was named first reserve for the Los Angeles Country Club. The player opten not to travel, considering the distance, and in retrospect, it was a wise choice, as he wouldn’t have made the cut anyway. After 12 months of progression, he feels more equipped for his first Majors experience.
His thoughts: “I am a much improved player compared to where I was a year back. I believe I am more prepared for such challenging terrains. They are indeed brutal!”
He expresses his desire to participate annually after this week, finding this aspiration stokes his ambition.
Much of his training consisted of working on his short game with his coach, Gareth Raflewski, who runs a high-performance centre at Slieve Russell in Canada. “Almost four years now, I have been working with Gareth. Given his location in Canada, meet-ups are typically challenging. However, whenever I get the chance, I ensure I spend ample time with him. Here, it is critical to practice lots of chip shots and long bunker shots, regardless of how well you play. Therefore, I am accustomed to various scenarios and lies to be ready for any challenge that comes my way.”
Although a planned practice session with Rory McIlroy awaits, prior to the actual scorecard matters, McKibbin was content enough to forge ahead independently yesterday with his crew, alongside coach Johnny Foster. They examined the demands of No. 2 together.
Upon asked about his impressions, he responded, “It’s distinctive. It’s not quite like the links courses back home. The ball quickly settles on this kind of fairway grass. But, it’s a whole new ball game. I’ve never come across greens where a reasonable shot can veer 20, 30 yards off to the side. That’s something I need to grapple with”, added McKibbin.
The greens themselves are challenging, with small target areas to aim at. This, coupled with the length of the course necessitating frequent use of mid- to long-irons, makes it generally difficult, even on a typical course, to strike accurately. That’s what renders it complex.
Nevertheless, he’s been bitten with the bug, with a desire to return. His desires? Simply to gauge where he stands with his game at the end of the week, in comparison to the other seasoned players he’s been viewing on television. Therefore, he holds no concrete expectations. Of course, he wishes to perform well, but also to evaluate his positioning at week’s end.
Upon the week’s culmination, he believes he’ll be eager to return annually. Hence, this likely stokes his motivation to strive hard to ensure increased participation in such tournaments.