GOLF.AI • Oct 31, 2025

Mentor's Warning, Protégé's Gamble

A classic tale of mentor versus protégé is unfolding in professional golf, centered on Rory McIlroy and his young compatriot, Tom McKibbin. As a staunch PGA Tour loyalist, McIlroy openly advised McKibbin against joining the rival LIV Golf league. "I said to him, if I were in your shoes, I would make a different choice," McIlroy stated, expressing grave concern that McKibbin was "sacrificing and giving up with access to majors"—the pinnacle of a golfer's career.

Despite the warning, McKibbin took the leap. Now, in a twist of irony, his gamble appears to be paying off spectacularly. Competing in the Hong Kong Open, an event on the LIV-adjacent Asian Tour's International Series, McKibbin fired a blistering, course-record 10-under 60 at the historic Hong Kong Golf Club. The sensational round broke the previous record of 61 held by Aaron Rai.

The stakes of this performance are immense. A victory at the Hong Kong Open comes with coveted exemptions into two of golf's most prestigious tournaments: The Masters and The Open. These are the very opportunities McIlroy feared his protégé was forfeiting.

The situation creates a fascinating paradox: McKibbin is leveraging the very system backed by his new league to chase the traditional dreams that his old-guard mentor champions. While the long-term consequences of his decision remain unknown, McKibbin's record-breaking round has positioned him to potentially prove that his path, though different, can lead to the same hallowed grounds of Augusta National and Royal Portrush.