While many LIV golfers face the unknown at a new course in South Africa, Tom McKibbin feels right at home. The Legion XIII GC member is drawing on years of experience at Steyn City. He believes this familiarity gives him a distinct advantage over his teammates and rivals.

“I've played this course three years ago sort of around this same time,” McKibbin said during the presser at The Club at Steyn City. “I think it's a very different style of golf here. Obviously a very different type of grass to hit off.”

The 23-year-old Irishman has played 11 times in South Africa over the last four years. It’s where he kick-started his journey as a professional. But how is that experience helping him as he heads into the upcoming LIV Golf event?

“I think hopefully knowing that I've played on it so many times and I know what I like and dislike about it, sort of hitting off some of these lies, hopefully I can use that to my advantage a little bit and hopefully have a good week.”

McKibbin assured that he enjoyed the last time he was at the course. Of course, the holes are in a different order, the altitude is high, and kikuyu grass demands technicality. And to tackle that, he has an early practice planned. He certainly seemed pretty excited to tee it off at South Africa. 

But does he have any advice for his teammates entering Steyn City this week?

LIV Golfer Has Some Tips for Tackling South Africa

As the member with the most experience in South Africa, the Legion XIII GC members, including Jon Rahm, asked him for some advice. 

McKibbin said, “I think when I started out playing here, had a lot of very good weeks and good finishes, and I think as I played more, I almost overcomplicated it a little bit with the altitude and things like that.”

But the last couple of times he swung at Steyn City, he tried to keep things simpler. For him, using the meters book instead of the yards book was a better deal. 

“I think with all the different variables, with the grass and the altitude, it can become quite confusing and you can make it quite sort of a math equation,” McKibbin continued. “That's where it didn't go too well for me, so I'm trying to make it as simple as possible and trying to make as normal golf as I can.”

Now, the question is if the same trick will help Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Caleb Surratt too. Well, that’s something we’ll find out in the next couple of days. Legion XIII GC is yet to win this year. And McKibbin’s familiarity with Steyn City might come in handy. 

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar