Tom McKibbin leaves LIV Golf and commits to full DP World Tour schedule for 2027

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin announced on October 23, 2026 that he would not sign a new deal with LIV Golf and would return to a full DP World Tour schedule in 2027. The 23-year-old spent two seasons with Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team but has decided that the European circuit better fits his next career goals.

McKibbin thanked his former teammates and said the original move to LIV had made sense for him at the time. He joined the league in 2025 despite having earned a PGA Tour card at the end of 2024. Although he did not claim an individual LIV title, he took part in Legion XIII's successful team campaigns.

His return is supported by his continued DP World Tour status. Earlier in 2026, McKibbin was among eight members granted conditional releases to play LIV events while meeting obligations to the European tour, including fines and additional tournament appearances. His results have put him in a position to retain full playing rights for 2027, subject to final season standings.

The announcement came alongside decisions by Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton and others not to take part in LIV's proposed relaunch. The league is undergoing financial restructuring while seeking a viable roster and funding for 2027. Those developments create uncertainty, but they do not establish that the proposed competition has definitively ceased operations.

For McKibbin, the move marks another stage in a career that already includes victory at the 2023 European Open and the 2025 Hong Kong Open. A regular DP World Tour schedule could give him further opportunities to improve his Race to Dubai standing and qualify for major events. His precise 2027 tournament schedule has not yet been announced.

Sources: RTÉ, October 23; Reuters, October 24, 2026; DP World Tour official statement on 2026 conditional releases. Illustration: archival view of Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, not a photograph of McKibbin.