This week’s 2025 Link Hong Kong Open is no normal Asian Tour event. There are huge rewards on the line for winning the event this year, namely spots in the 2026 Masters and Open Championship.
Given the major ramifications, dozens of LIV Golf pros are in the field this week. And after shooting the lowest score of his life in Round 1, phenom Tom Mckibbin, one of the newest members of LIV, has the best chance of claiming those major invites.
Here’s what you need to know.
Tom McKibbin’s controversial decision to join LIV
First, a little background on McKibbin. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland was one of the most promising golf prospects in the world over the past few years.
In 2024, McKibbin played well enough of the DP World Tour to earn his PGA Tour card for 2025. But there was one complication for the up-and-coming star: LIV Golf had also made him an offer.
McKibbin is from Northern Ireland and grew up playing Holywood Golf Club, the same course where Rory McIlroy learned the game.
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Given their connection, McKibbin called McIlroy to get his advice on the big decision he faced: should he join the PGA Tour with McIlroy or play on LIV Golf?
McIlroy tried to convince McKibbin to choose the PGA Tour, arguing that he risked giving up other opportunities if he went to LIV.
“I think what [McKibbin] potentially is sacrificing and giving up with access to majors, potential Ryder Cup spot,” McIlroy told reporters in January. “If I were in his position and I had his potential, which I think I have been before, I wouldn’t make that decision [to join LIV].”
Though McKibbin admitted to taking McIlroy’s advice into consideration, he ultimately decided to spurn the PGA Tour in favor of LIV.
The fact that he wasn’t qualified for the majors in 2025 at that point influenced his decision.
“But I think I wasn’t in — I’m not in those majors anyway at the minute, so it really didn’t bother me too much,” McKibbin said earlier this year.
But now McKibbin has a legitimate shot to qualify for two 2026 majors in Hong Kong.
Tom Mckibbin eyes Masters invite after shooting 60
More than two dozen LIV Golf pros are teeing it up at the Hong Kong Open, and only two of them already have spots in either the Masters or Open Championship in 2026. Patrick Reed, who shot 59 to win last year’s Hong Kong Open, is qualified for the Masters as a former champion.
Fellow LIV pro and major winner Louis Oosthuizen similarly will play the 2026 Open Champions as a past winner.
But most are in the field hoping to earn their way into the Masters and Open, a more difficult task for LIV pros since world ranking points are not awarded at LIV Golf events.
That proved to be enough incentive for McKibbin to have one of the best rounds of his career. The Northern Irish pro fired a six-under 60 on Thursday, with eight birdies, one eagle and zero bogeys.
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“It was obviously a very, very good round. I didn’t really miss too many shots, holed a few nice putts and took advantage of the two par-5s that there are out there. And yes, 60 shots later, I’m sitting here!” McKoibbin said after his round.
He added, “60 is the lowest round that I have ever shot – 62 has been my best before. So it was nice to break that, fantastic.”
Though he just missed tying Reed’s 59 from last year, McKibbin’s 60 actually set the course record, because Reed’s 59 was shot under lift, clean and place rules. He then followed it up with a 65 in the second round to extend a two-shot lead at the halfway mark. Peter Uihlein, Jazz Janewattananond and Kiradech Aphibarnrat are tied for second at 13 under.
