LIV Golf’s Tom McKibbin edged closer to the world’s top 100 and a place in the PGA Championship when he tied for third behind an emotional Richard Mansell in the 54-hole Porsche Singapore Classic.
The Holywood star (22) went into the final round a shot behind American Dan Erikson, tied for second with Mansell, Adrien Saddier, Matthew Jordan and Fabrizio Zanotti.
But while he turned in two-under 33 at Laguna National and trailed Mansell by three strokes, he birdied three of his last four holes for a 68.
Two behind Mansell playing the last, he gave the leader a fright, burning the hole with a 45-footer for eagle at the 18th, where the Englishman needed a birdie to overhaul Japan’s Keita Nakajima, who shot a bogey-free, seven-under 65 to set the target at 15-under.
Mansell made five birdies in a row from the fourth to turn with a two-shot lead but he needed to two putt from over 100 feet at the 18th to win his maiden title in his 104th start.
After lagging up to seven feet, he watched McKibbin two-putt to tie for third (€130,381) with Saddier on 14-under, then rapped in his putt for a 66 to win by one from Nakajima on 16-under (€392,299).
“What a feeling,” Mansell said. “Just to get into that position, and I played so well today. First week with a new caddie, so that was a good start, and he just, a couple of times, got me to slow down.
“It makes those near-misses, and when I’ve got ahead of myself in the past, just kind of worth it, and it just means that much more.
“In 2022, I had quite a few close calls and didn’t get it done. Looking back on it, I probably should’ve kept doing what I was doing, and it probably would’ve happened a lot sooner.
“But I went searching, I tried to change, and I became quite good at pointing the finger, blaming other people why it hadn’t happened. And I started just not enjoying it as much, and I just got a little bit lost from where I’d actually come from.
“Luckily I had an opportunity on the last hole to hole a putt for the win and I managed to do it.”
McKibbin, who jetted back to his Dubai residence to get ready for his next LIV Golf start in Miami from April 4-6, was expected to move to around 106th in the world with the top 100 exempt for May’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
It will be another chance for him to pick up Ryder Cup qualifying points.
He’s already in The Open at Royal Portrush and will be joined there by fellow LIV Golf stars Carlos Ortiz, Patrick Reed and Jason Kokrak, who claimed the three spots on offer at the International Series Macau.
Ortiz shot a six-under 64 to win by three shots from Reed (67) and six from Kokrak (67) on 22-under as Graeme McDowell tied for 40th on four-under after a 69.
In the Ford Women’s NSW Open, English rookie Mimi Rhodes (23) shot a bogey-free, two-under 69 to win her maiden Ladies European Tour title by two shots from Australia’s Kirsten Rudgeley and Italy’s Alessandra Fanali on 17-under at Wollongong.
Elm Park rookie Anna Foster(23) made an eagle and five birdies, including two to finish, to claim a career-best tie for 14th (€5,490) on seven-under after a 67.
Lauren Walsh was joint 43rd in two-under after a 68, with Annabel Wilson three shots further back in 51st after a 71.
