Tom McKibbin is just 18 holes away from securing a second professional victory and earning himself a place in both the Masters and the Open Championship next year as he takes a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Hong Kong Open.
After setting a new course record with a blistering 10-under-par round of 60 on day one, the Holywood youngster would also be a wire-to-wire winner should he hang on and add the Hong Kong Open to the Porsche European Open title he won back in 2023.
After completing his first 36 holes without a blemish on his card, he dropped a shot early on moving day, three-putting the par-3 second, but after finding the dancefloor in two on the par-5 third, he was back at level-par for the day.
Three more birdies followed on the front nine, and he hit his tee shot to tap-in range on the par-3 12th and then gave himself another eagle chance on the 13th, but after an aggressive first effort, he missed the six-footer back.
After missing a short but slippery birdie putt on 14, he took on the aggressive line off the tee on 15 and carried the hazard, setting up a short approach but found himself in a fairway divot and caught his wedge a little thin, leaving a tricky up and down that led to his second bogey of the day and he surrendered sole possession of the lead for the first time since early on Thursday.
Up ahead, American M.J. Maguire, an International Series winner in 2024, was on his way to a best-of-the-day 61 and his closing birdie saw him move one clear, but McKibbin’s response was impressive.
He knocked his approach stiff on 16, then rolled in a 15-footer for birdie on 17 and closed out with a par on the difficult closing hole to reach the clubhouse at 20-under, one clear of Maguire, with Peter Uihlein one further adrift at -18.
“It was pretty good today,” McKibbin said. “I felt like the course was playing a little bit tougher, the pins seemed a little bit harder but I overall played some very nice stuff and held a few nice putts.”
With the tournament winner getting an invitation to the Masters and the Open Championship next year, McKibbin knows there’s a lot at stake besides the tournament victory, so he’s intent on taking an aggressive mindset into the final round and playing as though it’s victory or nothing.
“I think everyone came here knowing the spots were available,” he said. “It’s no big deal finishing second or third and that doesn’t really change. I may as well keep my mindset of giving it a good go.
“To win any tournament means a lot and with the history behind this event and the people who have won it before, it would be very special.”
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