Tom McKibbin romped to a wire-to-wire victory in the Link Hong Kong Open on Sunday, and ripped up the record books in the process.
The Northern Irishman’s winning total of 27-under-par was the lowest in the tournament’s history, five better than Patrick Reed last year, with Ian Poulter and Jose Maria Olazabal also reaching 22 under when they won in 2010 and 2001, respectively.
And the seven-shot gap between McKibbin and Peter Uihlein, who was second, equalled the largest margin of victory ever, matching Bernhard Langer’s triumph in 1991 and Bill Brask’s in 1984.
“It was obviously amazing,” McKibbin said of his final round 63. “I played some of the best golf I’ve ever played, so to have that sort of golf and shoot those scores around here is pretty special.
“It means a lot [to have the record], with a tournament with so much history behind it and the great players that have won this tournament, having the scoring record is pretty special and something that will definitely live with me forever.”
Having set a new course record with a 10-under-par 60 in the first round, it was a fitting display of almost flawless golf in a tournament which, for the first time, has earned the winner a spot in the Masters and Open Championship.
