Record-Setting Tom McKibbin Utterly Dominates Hong Kong Open To Earn Masters And Open Spots

LIV Golf's Tom McKibbin carded a closing seven-under round of 63 to complete a highly impressive wire-to-wire victory at the Hong Kong Open on Sunday.

The Northern Irishman led by just one shot going into the final round of the $2 million event but stepped on the gas pedal at Hong Kong Golf Club to run away with the title and secure spots at The Masters and The Open Championship next year.

McKibbin's third professional victory, which arrived in his maiden Asian Tour start, was wrapped up with a score of 27-under-par - seven strokes clear of Peter Uihlein in second. It was the lowest-ever winning total in the event's 66-year history by five shots and matched the widest-ever margin of victory.

McKibbin's comfortable triumph was helped significantly by his opening round of 60 on Thursday. Subsequent five-under rounds then ensured the 23-year-old remained ahead all the way into Sunday.

But while his rivals faltered down the stretch, McKibbin pulled away via eight birdies in round four and just the one bogey which arrived on the 72nd hole. That was only his third of the entire week.

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As a result of his success at the Asian Tour's International Series tournament - which serves as one of the new qualifying events for the two aforementioned Majors - McKibbin will enjoy his Masters debut next April before making a third appearance at The Open.

Reacting to his achievement afterwards, McKibbin said: "Yeah, 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.

"It means a lot. I mean, with a tournament with so much history behind it, and you know, great players that have won this tournament, to have the scoring record is pretty special and something that will definitely live with me forever.

“Very excited to go back and play my third Open, it will be very, very cool. And to have that drive down Magnolia Lane for the first time ever, it will be even more special."

It could, and possibly should, have been a more nerve-wracking finale for McKibbin, but for a quadruple-bogey eight from Uihlein on the par-4 14th which immediately ended the American's already slim chances of catching the runaway leader.

Despite the snowman, McKibbin's LIV Golf peer hung on for solo second on 20-under and consequently earned the $220,000 runner-up prize.

Japan's Tomoyo Ikemura, South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen and USA's M.J. Maguire all shared third a stroke further back.

A three-way tie for sixth (-18) was made up of Wenyi Ding, Matt Jones and Scott Hend while Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Thomas Pieters and Charles Howell III completed the top-10 in T9th on 17-under.

Next week, the Asian Tour's campaign continues with the Moutai Singapore Open - the penultimate International Series event of the year.