McKibbin’s acceptance of LIV Golf’s riches means he joins a breakaway circuit whose participants include major winners such as US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith and Sergio Garcia.
He becomes the second player from Northern Ireland to make the switch to LIV Golf, with 2010 US Open winner Graeme McDowell already part of the circuit.
McKibbin will play alongside Rahm, English Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton and American Caleb Surratt on the Legion XIII team.
With LIV events not carrying world ranking points, McKibbin is certain to fall from his current 109th place, given he will be unable to play on the PGA Tour and with his appearances on the DP World Tour likely to be occasional.
The PGA Tour’s protracted negotiations with LIV’s backers, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), are aimed at healing the split in world golf.
Those talks have yet to bear fruit, and McKibbin may be gambling that a resolution could be reached soon which would extend his playing options beyond the breakaway tour.
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