The Holywood ace (22) couldn’t match the 59 fellow LIV Golf star Patrick Reed carded with preferred lies en route to victory last year.
But he still shaved a shot off Aaron Rai’s official course record of 61 when he made an eagle and eight birdies in a bogey-free effort on a morning of low scoring at Fanling.
McKibbin, who is a member of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team, teed off on the 11th and picked up early birdies at the 12th and 13th before carding three birdies in a row from the 15th to get to five under.
He then birdied the second and eagled the third before picking up two more shots on the eighth and 10th to lead by a shot from Thai star Jazz Janewattananond.
McKibbin, who finished tied sixth in LIV Golf Hong Kong in March, was delighted with his morning’s work.
“It was obviously a very, very good round,” the 2023 Porsche European Open winner said.
“I didn’t really miss too many shots, holed a few nice putts and took advantage of the two par fives that there are out there. And yes, 60 shots later, I’m sitting here!”
On flirting with Reed’s 59, which the American posted in the third round en route to a four-shot victory last year, McKibbin said: “No, I looked at the scorecard after 17 holes and saw it was a par 70.
“So I knew I had to eagle the last, so maybe that helped.. But yes, 60 is the lowest round that I have ever shot – 62 has been my best before. So it was nice to break that, fantastic.”
He’s clearly comfortable on the course and has a chance now to battle for a spot in the Masters, awarded to the winner, and a place in The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, awarded to the leading non-exempt player who makes the cut.
“I think it just suits my eye,” McKibbin said. “I think most of the tee shots you have to hit driver, which suits my eye. And obviously, there are a lot of holes where you don’t hit a driver as well.
“So I think that sort of tight visual, and a lot of irons into the greens and things like that, I think sort of suits my game quite nicely.”
He leads by a shot from Janewattananond, who shot a bogey-free 61, and by two from Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters.
Graeme McDowell, who is also desperate to qualify for the Masters and The Open, having not played a Major since 2020, was 87th after a one-under 69.
Reed, the defending champion, was joint 22nd after a 65.
The Link Hong Kong Open is the seventh of nine elevated events on the Asian Tour that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League for the season-ending Rankings champion.
