Tom McKibbin fired a blistering course document 10-under 60 to guide the Hyperlink Hong Kong Open as he chases invites to the Masters and The Open.
The Holywood ace (22) could not match the 59 fellow LIV Golf star Patrick Reed carded with most well-liked lies en path to victory final yr.
However he nonetheless shaved a shot off Aaron Rai’s official course document of 61 when he made an eagle and eight birdies in a bogey-free effort on a morning of low scoring at Fanling
McKibbin, who’s a member of Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII workforce, teed off on the eleventh and picked up early birdies on the twelfth and thirteenth earlier than carding three birdies in a row from the fifteenth to get to 5 below.
He then birdied the second and eagled the third earlier than choosing up two extra photographs on the eighth and tenth to guide by a shot from Thai star Jazz Janewattananond.
McKibbin, who completed tied sixth in LIV Golf Hong Kong in March, was delighted along with his morning’s work.
“It was clearly a really, excellent spherical,” the 2023 Porsche European Open winner mentioned.
“I didn’t actually miss too many photographs, holed just a few good putts and took benefit of the 2 par fives that there are on the market. And sure, 60 photographs later, I’m sitting right here!”
On flirting with Reed’s 59, which the American posted within the third spherical en path to a four-shot victory final yr, McKibbin mentioned: “No, I seemed on the scorecard after 17 holes and noticed it was a par 70.
“So I knew I needed to eagle the final, so possibly that helped.. However sure, 60 is the bottom spherical that I’ve ever shot – 62 has been my greatest earlier than. So it was good to interrupt that, incredible.”
He is clearly snug on the course and has an opportunity now to battle for a spot within the Masters, awarded to the winner, and a spot in The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale, awarded to the main non-exempt participant who makes the minimize.
“I feel it simply fits my eye,” McKibbin mentioned. “I feel many of the tee photographs it’s important to hit driver, which fits my eye. And clearly, there are a variety of holes the place you do not hit a driver as nicely.
“So I feel that kind of tight visible, and a variety of irons into the greens and issues like that, I feel kind of fits my recreation fairly properly.”
He leads by a shot from Janewattananond, who shot a bogey-free 61, and by two from Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and Belgium’s Thomas Detry
Graeme McDowell, who can also be determined to qualify for the Masters and The Open, having not performed a Main since 2020, was 87th after a one-under 69.
Reed, the defending champion, was joint twenty second after a 65.
The Hyperlink Hong Kong Open is the seventh of 9 elevated occasions on the Asian Tour that kind a pathway onto the LIV Golf League for the season-ending Rankings champion.
