Tom McKibbin says he has ‘learnt I’m good enough’ after winning the European Open

It would seem there is more than one star from Holywood. Tom McKibbin, from that same Northern Irish town of 12,000 as Rory McIlroy, demonstrated the vastness of his own talent by winning his first DP World Tour title at the European Open on Sunday.

The 20-year-old only graduated from the Challenge Tour in November, but he illuminated what had been a promising rookie season with a superb two-stroke victory at Green Eagle in Hamburg.

His winning putt came a little more than two hours before McIlroy set off in the final pairing at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, where he shared the lead with David Lipsky and Si Woo Kim.

With McIlroy pursuing his 24th PGA Tour win, not to mention a return to form ahead of this month’s US Open, it raised the possibility of an extraordinary sporting double from a small corner of County Down. That they have emerged from the same Holywood Golf Club adds to the quirkiness of a nice tale.

McKibbin has an awfully long way to go to justify any meatier comparisons, but plainly he has the game and temperament to make his own name.

The 20-year-old Irishman brought home his first DP World title with a superb two-strike victory

He opened his final round on six-under-par and in the pressurised scenario of a six-way tie for the lead. 

If that was daunting, he rode out the challenge magnificently with birdies at the fourth, sixth and ninth holes to pull two strokes clear of Germany’s Max Kieffer at the turn.

By the time McKibbin reached the 14th, the pair were level – the Northern Irishman bogeyed off a wayward drive at 11 and he dropped another with a five at 13 – and shortly afterwards Marcel Siem reached the clubhouse at seven under, meaning a tie between three.

The question was whether McKibbin could withstand the heat, but he birdied 15 after a near-miss with the water and delivered one of the shots of the tournament at the last when, behind a tree and 205 yards from the green, he drew a five iron to eight feet. 

He missed the eagle putt but birdie for a closing 70 enabled a superb breakout triumph.

He said: ‘I haven’t been on my phone yet but hopefully Rory can win tonight.

He backed Rory McIlroy, from the same Northern Irish town, to win the Memorial Tournament

‘To win means a lot – it’s what I’ve worked hard for all my life, so to have it today is pretty special. I’ve learned that I’m good enough to win. I always thought I was, but to prove it today was pretty special.

‘I guess I’ve learned a lot from failures, missing cuts by a shot and missing things slightly. So to take those things I’ve learned and put them into play was nice. It probably won’t sink in until tomorrow.

‘There was a little bit of nerves on the 18th, but not as many as I expected. Thankfully I was able to take the club away. It was such a good shot, it felt pretty amazing.’

McKibbin, the world No 335, is expected to climb as high as 159th when the new rankings are released this week.