After his win at the Link Hong Kong Open, McKibbin reflected on his dominant performance, which saw him break the tournament’s 72-hole scoring record, saying, “It was obviously amazing. I played some of the best golf I have probably ever played. So, yeah, to have that sort of golf and to shoot those scores around here is pretty special.”
The confidence gained from playing alongside a superstar like Rahm and veteran Tyrrell Hatton has been a key to their quick maturation, as McKibbin outlined after Legion XIII’s Team Championship victory in Michigan.
“I think getting to spend time with Jon and Tyrrell, I’ve definitely learned a lot from them,” McKibbin said. “And then I think getting paired with some of the other guys and stuff throughout the tournaments, people that you’ve watched on TV or grew up watching, I’m getting to learn from them. I think some of the golf courses as well were a little bit trickier than what I’d been used to, so sort of getting used to those and developing my game through that. So I think a lot of small things that add up to quite a big sort of difference.”
Surratt, LIV Golf’s youngest player at age 21, has yet to capture his first pro victory but has come extremely close on multiple occasions.
“It’s been a wild ride,” Surratt said in Michigan, citing the leadership from his two veteran teammates as an integral part of his development.
“I’m thankful to Jon trusting me enough to have me on his team last year, and I’m very proud of the player I’ve started to become,” he said. “I know that I wouldn’t be the player I am today if I didn’t make the decision to come out here and play with Jon and Tyrrell over the last few years. I’m very thankful for that and looking forward to many years to come.”
