Tom McKibbin claimed victory on the Hong Kong Open on Sunday qualify for the Masters for the primary time and safe his place for The Open.
Main from spherical one, the 22-year-old Holywood golfer was constant all through as he triumphed within the prestigious Asian Tour occasion at Fanling.
Belfast-born McKibbin, who received as soon as on the European Tour in 2023 and now performs on the LIV Golf tour, shot an official course-record 60 on the opening day Thursday to ignite his title cost.
In heat and overcast circumstances on Sunday, and main MJ Maguire by one shot in a single day, McKibbin fired a final-round 63 to complete on 27 beneath par.
He shot eight birdies in his ultimate spherical together with 5 in his final 9 holes.
“I dreamt of doing this since I used to be a younger child, they usually come true in case you prepare laborious sufficient,” he stated.
McKibbin is a club-mate of five-time main winner Rory McIlroy, the present Masters champion.
Peter Uihlein was second at 20 beneath and his fellow American Maguire was tied for third, one other shot again.
The Hong Kong Open is likely one of the elevated Worldwide Sequence occasions on the Asian Tour in 2025, and is bankrolled by the Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf.
Additionally it is certainly one of a choose variety of nationwide opens world wide that have been granted standing as qualifiers for subsequent yr’s Masters at Augusta and The Open at Royal Birkdale.
