LIV Golf 2026 Season Player Preview: Tom McKibbin

The 2026 LIV Golf season starts next February under the lights in Riyadh, and in the next few months, we’ll take a detailed look at each player competing next season. Next up is one of LIV Golf’s brightest young stars, Legion XIII's Tom McKibbin.

LOOKING AHEAD 

McKibbin is on a trajectory to superstardom. The Legion XIII young gun had a fantastic first season with LIV Golf, but the trajectory that looked promising a year ago has now shifted to explosive. McKibbin is progressing at an even quicker clip than anyone anticipated, demonstrated by his dominant victory at the Hong Kong Open, punching his ticket to the 2026 Open Championship and The Masters in the process. McKibbin has been vocal about how working closely with Legion XIII teammates Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have made him a better player, and the results clearly indicate he’s benefited from their mentorship. The Northern Irishman has all the physical tools, plus the perfect support structure, to ascend to a top-10 player in the world in the not-too-distant future. 

LOOKING BACK 

McKibbin quickly established himself as one of the league’s brightest young talents in his debut LIV Golf season, delivering consistent high-level performances at just 22 years old. He posted four top-10 finishes, highlighted by a tie for fourth in the team’s triumphant week at Valderrama. He also played a pivotal role in the Michigan Team Championship, carding a brilliant 5-under 65 that propelled Legion XIII into a playoff against Crushers GC.

WHAT THE STATS SAY

Strengths: McKibbin's 2025 season was built on elite driving and sharp play around the greens. His primary weapon was the driver, where he ranked 5th in the league in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, gaining 0.69 strokes per round. His phenomenal driving was a result of a rare combination of distance and accuracy. He ranked 7th in driving distance (321.3 yards) while also hitting 60.06% of his fairways, which ranked 17th.

His soft touch around the greens was a fantastic complement to his driving prowess. He ranked 5th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, gaining 0.40 strokes per round.

Weaknesses: McKibbin’s putting was his biggest weakness in 2025. He ranked 43rd in Strokes Gained: Putting as he lost -0.30 strokes per round to the field.

While his approach play overall was neutral, he lost strokes to the field in both long approach shots (225+) and short approach shots (150 yards and in). He lost 0.09 strokes on the field in SG: Long Approach and -0.22 in SG: Short Approach.

For McKibbin to take the next step into the top 10 of the standings, he’ll need to improve his iron play and putting.

CAREER RESULTS

LIV GOLF REGULAR SEASON

Year     Team            Starts     Rounds     1st  2nd  3rd   Total Top 10   Total Top 24
2025    Legion XIII   13             39               0     0       0      4                      8
Total                         13             39               0     0       0      4                      8

TOTAL TROPHIES WON (5)

Individual Regular Season Wins: 0
Team Regular Season Wins: 4
Individual Championship: 0
Team Championship: 1

LIV GOLF CAREER SCORING

Stroke Average Total: 70.08
Round 1 Average: 71.08
Round 2 Average: 69.85
Round 3 Average: 69.31

Lowest Round: 65

BOTTOM LINE

McKibbin proved in the Michigan Team Championship that he could perform under pressure on the big stage and backed it up in the LIV Golf offseason by winning the Link Hong Kong Open that came with crucial major championship exemptions. However, McKibbin didn’t produce a podium finish in 2025 as he learned and developed while playing for Legion XIII. The next step will be contending for, and winning, LIV Golf events in 2026.