McKibbin dealing with the ‘pinch-me’ moments of his first Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Masters rookies have that wide-eyed moment upon first seeing Augusta National. Most of the time, it happens the week of the tournament. How quickly they can process and refocus on the competitive task at hand could be the difference between an encouraging result or a lackluster one. 

Tom McKibbin has had ample time to absorb his moment. 

He joined Legion XIII teammate Tyrrell Hatton on a two-round reconnaissance mission at Augusta National in late March, followed by a week of practice in Orlando, Florida before returning to Augusta. That should help steady any nerves for the 23-year-old Northern Irishman who’s making his first Masters start this week. 

“It was really good to come up and play the course a week before and sort of see what was needed and get that sort of pinch-me moment out of the way early,” McKibbin said. “Definitely very beneficial.” 

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It was also beneficial to be practicing alongside Hatton, who’ll be making his 10th Masters start this week and has seemingly begun to unlock some of the mysteries of Augusta National. His last two Masters (T9 in 2024, T14 last year) are his best finishes here. 

“Seems somewhat crazy to say because I still feel and act like a kid, I guess,” Hatton said about reaching double-digits in starts. 

McKibbin also can lean on the knowledge of his captain, Jon Rahm, the 2023 Masters champion. The three Legion XIII members represent the only LIV Golf team with more than one representative in this week’s field. Caleb Surratt, the 21-year-old who’s the second youngest-player in the league, is the only teammate not at Augusta National. 

“I think it speaks to the level of golf that we've all had before and after joining LIV,” said Rahm about the Legion XIII trio. “The goal now would be to hopefully have all four of us in majors and say all of us are good enough to qualify and be there. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens in the near future.”

The immediate future for McKibbin, of course, is to try to make an impact in his debut. Recent tournament history is favorable. 

Last year, two first-year players finished inside the top 25. The year before, three players finished inside the top 12, including Ludvig Aberg’s runner-up result. If McKibbin can finish in the top 12 this week, he’ll earn an invite to next year’s Masters. Of course, he’d love to be the first Masters rookie to win since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. 

A year ago, McKibbin was in Dubai, watching on TV as his fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy became the sixth player to complete golf’s Grand Slam. Thus far, he’s been able to play the final four holes with McIlroy. McKibbin specifically asked him about the 8-iron McIlroy hit into the 17th hole on Sunday that finished two feet from the pin, setting up a critical birdie that ultimately led to his playoff win against Justin Rose. 

“It was pretty incredible,” said McKibbin, who earned his spot in this week’s field thanks to his win last year at the Link Hong Kong Open. “He showed me sort of how close he had hit it. To come down the stretch last year under that pressure and pull off some of these shots he did was really cool.” 

McKibbin was excited to see the 155-yard par-3 12th, the middle part of Amen Corner. “I’ve watched it on TV for a long time,” he said. “But I think that stretch from [when] you come over the hill on 11 all the way through 13 is pretty special. 

“The par-3 sixth is probably what surprised [me]. I didn’t realize how slopey that green was. The right-hand side is pretty crazy.” 

McKibbin, the ninth different player from Northern Ireland to compete in the Masters, has picked up plenty of intel this week. Now it’s time to use it. Even so, he’ll no doubt still have a pinch-me moment on Thursday when he tees off at 11:15 a.m. in the opening round. 

“It’s been everything I could imagine,” he said. “Just being here, it’s pretty special – and getting the opportunity to play has been incredible. Yeah, I’ve got a few rounds under my belt around here so far. Loved every minute of it.” 

Top image: Tom McKibbin of Legion XIII hits a shot from the 15th tee during a practice round on Tuesday before the start of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/LIV Golf)