ON THE COURSE WITH…TOM MCKIBBIN

In our second episode of “On The Course With…”, #TeamCallaway Ambassador Inci Mehmet joins rising star and super-talented Tom McKibbin on the beautiful Royal County Down course, Northern Ireland. Playing over the iconic links, they discuss how Tom got into golf from the age of 7, meeting his golfing heroes (and being starstruck!), his move to Callaway and love of the new gear, (including his pretty special irons), and how he deals with Tour life, both on and off the course.

#TeamCallaway | #TomMcKibbin

About Callaway Golf:

Welcome to the official Callaway Golf YouTube Channel. At Callaway, we’re more than just a golf brand, we’re devoted to the art, science and thrill of the game. Here we share exclusive content, tips, product launches, and insights to elevate your game. Whether you’re a novice or a pro, Callaway is with you every swing of the way.

Stay Connected:
• Website: https://eu.callawaygolf.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CallawayGolfEurope
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callawaygolfeu/
• X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/CallawayGolfEU

Subscribe for the latest from Callaway Golf Europe!

[Music]
[Music]
well we’re in for a treat today I’m on
the course with the one and only DP
World Tour winner Tom mcgiven and we’re
starting off with a pretty tough hole
aren Yeah it’s a pretty long par fory
the iconic hole here at Royal County
down obviously it’s a cold Misty day but
um I think we should get yardage first
to be honest yeah I think it’s going to
be I can’t quite eyeball this one
[Music]
well Tom I’ve been really looking
forward to this obviously you went a
beautiful golf course as well but how
did you get into the game cuz you get
some professionals they picked up the
club and they’re still crawling with
plastic bats but you were what seven
years old yeah about seven I was um I
was out kicking the football around with
my friend um and his dad was quite a
keen golfer and they were just going up
to the driving range one night and they
they brought me with them and since that
moment I just loved it and carried on
from there so it’s sort of a bit bit of
a random one did you ever play any other
sports growing up or was golf always
been your thing no I played played
pretty much everything Rugby Football um
swimming and stuff so but I always seem
to enjoy like the individual sports like
like swimming and like running and stuff
um so then when I got the golf I just
sort of fell in love with it pretty
quick that’s really interesting but
you’re only 21 years old still
relatively young do you feel quite Young
when you’re out there cuz you do live
quite a mature life stu um yeah I guess
I probably do feel quite young I mean
there’s so many guys that I’ve I’ve
watched on TV from when I’ve been been a
kid out there playing so um I’d say I do
but down the same time I mean I’ve been
aov for like 3 years soer feels a bit
bit of a while so um yes and no is there
an element of when you were a kid you
know did you ever watch golf tournaments
in person and and now you’re that player
inside the ropes you know what’s that
kind of turnaround like um yeah I would
have came down and watched watched the
Irish Ops and stuff and when I was a kid
went to a few tournaments and um I I
loved going and and watching and
standing on the Range and and watching
everyone so to be there sort of playing
them is is pretty cool especially
tournaments that you’ve seen on TV some
of the big ones it’s it’s pretty cool
just to be like I was watching this five
six years ago and to be planning it’s
it’s pretty cool what do you think you
would like as a kid were you ever like a
curious like Curious kid you know
fascinated by what the pros were up to
and how they’re trying to do it or were
you just kind of star struck by like
these are my idols and now I get to
watch them play like what was your kind
of curiosity level was like probably a
little bit of both um I probably was
very into watching as you say how they
how they do it and sort of how they went
out and I would always come down and
watch the practice rounds and stuff and
see sort of how how they um did that um
and then also at the same time seeing
some of the big guys that was pretty
cool and probably Fredy start struck um
but yeah I just L loved everything about
it and what’s the journey been up like
you know going from being an amateur now
you’re playing golf um it’s not a hobby
anymore now you’re playing for a living
things change what has that transition
been like teing up from the de all yeah
it’s been good I mean I just I think I
just love the game so much that it’s um
it’s been great I love being out there
and and traveling different countries um
and being in different places and then
sort of coming back and and playing golf
casually I just I love that too it’s
it’s just fun so I think the whole bet
everything is really really enjoyable
all right we’ve got some golf to play
yeah um I’m way left so I’m I’m on the
other side of the grain so see you
[Music]
[Music]
Tom that was a awesome up and down thank
you but we’ve got our work cut out
because yeah we’re playing from the very
backs y uh this is a par four right but
you know the course better than I do
what’s the line here um there’s a white
stone out there just left of that I
think um okay I’m going to follow you
actually it makes sense for you to go
first I Reon I did make a threee on the
last four so
um just rub it in Burns it stings left
is definitely the M here I think um off
the right is not great I was actually
going to say we obviously played a kind
of warm up three holes didn’t we every
single hole was pretty much a blind shot
apart from the fourth where everything
just opens up but even this one’s pretty
it’s not as blind as the others but it’s
uh still pretty
blind a perfect
shape yes should be good there
perfect well Tom welcome to the team
when I caught up with your dad earlier
this year in Dubai and he told me that
you made the Moose Callaway I gave you a
little fist I was absolutely gas so
how’s the transition been yeah it’s been
great um very smooth very easy it’s uh
it’s always it’s nice when when the
Gear’s been working and it’s it’s it’s
been really good this year um I’ve
really really enjoyed it and felt very
comfortable from the from the start of
the Year sometimes making big changes is
can be a bit of a shock to the system
right but looking at your driving stats
from last year to this year you’ve made
some big games yeah um I’ve been I’ve
been ever since I seen seen the guys in
in Dubai at the start of the Year
straight into into this head and it’s
it’s been great my accuracy with it has
just um really really taken taken off um
distance and all very similar but my
accuracy and dispersion has just gotten
gotten real tight and it’s just a very
very comfortable feeling when you stand
on the te one that you’ve been hitting a
while do you have like a preference on
what you like to see or what you like to
hear and feel you there’s some certain
go-tos aren’t there um yeah I sort of I
like the to see it sitting very Square
um but not see to little Loft I still
like to see a little bit of Loft that I
can sort of hit up on it and and launch
it a bit um and this this driver just
sits perfect uh Triple Diamond Marx sort
of bit bigger head and it just it just
sits sits really nice to my eye well you
haven’t missed the Fairway so far unlike
myself
where long
[Music]
left yeah
nice right at it so that looks proper
good from here look good got the right
Club so you’ve got um am I correct in
saying you are the only person in Europe
with these irons uh no I think I was the
first person I think a few people have
have caught on
but the first yeah so what are they uh
they’re ex forged um Japanese iron from
Japan yeah um I played X forged irons as
an
amateur and still have the set at home
and I used to always just look down at
them and be like geez I want to want to
have those in the bag again so they look
amazing they feel as well they look
great they feel great and um at the end
of the year I got the guys to see if
they could get me a set and they got me
a set over over Christmas and I tried
them out and just fell in love with them
literally straight away from from the
first re session and they were they were
great speaking of the guys getting you
set I mean you’ve got a birdie part
coming up right now there’s a bit of a
story is behind your Jailbird putter
yeah tell us more so I played with a few
of the guys um some night Golf and one
of them had it and he was whole and
everything uhhuh and I joked and I was
like I need to get one of those next
week Le this doesn’t mess um did you
have a go yourself no cuz he was
left-handed so I couldn’t I couldn’t do
it um Scott put up a a picture of
Instagram one I said oh you may um you
may keep me one of those just
sarcastically just sarcastically and I I
got there the next day and he had one
for me and at the event it was quite it
was quite windy and I was using more of
a blade style Potter and I just felt
like it was getting blown all over the
place so that sort of bigger head um
went straight in and I I think I
finished fourth I think with it so first
week and it it’s not a bad place to
start I’ve heard you’re a bit of a club
hoarder or at least a pter hoarder uh
what happens when you run out of space I
don’t know we’ll have to when the time
comes we’ll we’ll figure it out but Cas
buy a bigger house I um I like the the
collect all of them okay
[Music]
sixth Hole uh Par Four but once again we
can’t really see what’s ah yeah I’m yeah
I’m not actually too sure of the line
does this help
no no well why don’t you go for I I
think see that kind of yellow gor bush
in the distance left of that I don’t
think it’s left that I think that’s
pretty pretty good line a bit of a hit
and miss game maybe today
I mean that’s exactly where we said I
think it’s good that is so good
Tom perfect should be
good okay Tom well
apparently smallest screen smallest
screen on the course so we’ve done the
easy part now now it’s for the tough of
it but um you just come from Singapore
slightly different climate obviously but
you’ve got a little bit of downtime now
because your next event end of ail how
do you kind of switch off um well this
week not going to do too much mhm and
then we’re going to go out the divice
sort of for a bit of a family holiday
for a week and then get back to it after
that um so just sort of chill out and
take a bit of time off it’s been a busy
sort of start of the year so do you find
it difficult to completely switch off or
do you feel the edge I definitely find
it hard it’s sometimes a couple days and
then you get the itch back or you you
put the golf on in the TV and you just
want to be be out there hitting a few
it’s not a bad Chas Theo is it right so
smallest green on the golf course end of
the wind it’ll be great pretty
hard uh so it’s 160 160 into the breeze
about 190 probably you reckon so cold I
I’d say so yeah 160 bit of an up
slow I would say so yeah I’m going to
thing is I’m not very good at hitting my
for IR so I’m just going to try and
squeeze a five the pin looks like it’s
at the back so do you ever you know when
you um I know you said that you try and
stick to your stock Drive shots when
you’re playing into the Brees but
sometimes people talk about like teeing
it down to be a bit more accurate you
might lose a few yards but it’s a bit of
a fairway finder do you have any sort of
advice when you need to be a bit more
accurate with the irons like a St sh
with irons I would I would definitely
always try and hit them a bit bit lower
if it wasn’t comfortable or always I
hate hitting an iron shot too hard so
I’d always Club up and sort of smooth it
or hit sort of like a three quarter shot
just just to have a bit more
control I just I hate hitting an iron
too I feel like it can just get away
from you so just trying to sort of get
it forward then I guess it’s a bit more
of a shorter swing bit more control and
all right let’s give that a go
then a
fled kind a bit Struck it what would you
say is strength of your game um driving
yeah no I driving yeah has it always
been a strength of yours or is it just
develop it’s always been very good um
well I’ve always had sort of the length
for it and I normally am have been quite
accurate um but then since this driver
even last year’s Paradigm I’ve been very
my accuracy has got my M has gotten so
much tighter with it so I’ve sort of
I’ve definitely gained a lot a lot with
the with the driver
126 126 what you thinking
uh 126 into the wind I’m going to hold a
club where’s d
what do you think I’m thinking maybe an
eight I’m think I don’t know pins at the
back I have my hand on the nine but it’s
on a slight uphill set as well chippy
eight well because we’re on a links
course I’ll try and hit a proper
professional shot just get it that mean
well just the way you know the course
should be
played I love that it’s a proper chippy
shot this isn’t it uh yeah
see probably AR in
but oh oh smed it not
great but left unlucky sound great I
tell you what though the wind just
completely died down when you’re over
the ball it’s a little bit off don’t
think that made a difference but um
speaking of you know you said that
you’ve always hit the ball quite a long
way yeah you’re working pretty hard in
the gym now trying to yeah I feel like
it’s
um I feel like it really helped my golf
swing as I said I can get a bit long and
a bit sort of loose so I feel like I’ve
sort of started trying to do it more for
um to help my go can be a bit more
consistent and I just find I’ve sort of
have the distance I don’t really want to
try and Chase any more distance um so
bit more stability and sort of always
trying to um just keep everything sort
of more connected and sort of feel a bit
a bit stronger you’re left I’m right for
you’re right very
[Music]
social I holding this book like it’s my
Bible right now because I’m just staring
at the views and not really at the whole
but what are you doing here they seem to
beers you got the big dog out big dog
out it’s uh Reon you could reach that
bunker in the distance I don’t think so
not today get my zapper out um first
hole that we can I think sort of see the
see the full bit of the Fairway that far
bunker the second one in the distance
got to be like 400 yard sure like the
the top face of it is 325 so no it won’t
reach it today not in these condition
off the
left so good
Tom
perfect so I’ve done my best trying to
caddy for you yeah but I don’t know how
you feel it’s gone but not as good as
your own Dave McNeely I mean big age gap
between you two y you say 50 years yeah
I think there’s 51 years yeah to exact
yeah what’s it like having his sort of
maybe wisdom and experience uh by your
side yeah it’s been it’s been good I
think I’ve had de for just over a year
now and um obviously very experienced
CED for some great players and I’m being
at all all those big tournaments um so
it’s definitely been been great for me I
get on with him great he’s a good laugh
and we’re out there having a lot of fun
so I think it’s sort of relaxing a lot
of things but also brought the the sort
of experience and the the knowledge that
that has to be done to to be out there
there’s times when I’m doing the uncle’s
commentary and I’m walking down the
sidelines when I’m following you guys I
almost feel sorry for Dave because the
bag is almost bigger than him yeah I
honestly don’t know how he does it it’s
I would find it hard to carry the bag
around never mind him but it’s it’s very
impressive that he’s that he’s out there
still doing it and and do doing a good
job I mean he’s C for some of the
world’s best you know whether it’s padri
Arington Sonic F you name it he’s been
there and done that has there been
certain moments when you’ve been out on
the golf course does he ever kind of
stop you go hold on Tom we’ve got to do
this or do you always make the call
what’s that Dynamic like I sort of
always make the call um and I think
that’s probably a good thing so I can’t
really blame him blame anything or it’s
sort of my responsibility I don’t mind
sort of making the decision I just think
sometimes where Dave’s great is sort of
no moment is like too big he sort of
there and see a lot of things that he
doesn’t doesn’t get hyper or flap or get
nervous or anything so I think that’s
that’s been great um and then obviously
he does does make decisions and stuff I
just ultimately make the final one and
yeah and if it’s a good one it’s a good
one if it’s a bad one I can’t turn
around and and and give off
yeah so Dave’s obviously a core part of
your team but although golf is an
individual sport you got your manager
you got your trainer caddy who else is
in your team who’s in your
entourage um everyone you’ve said
coaches mom and dad of course um just
everyone that sort of helped me with
with my game and and sort of going the
tournaments they’re all part of the part
of the team I absolutely love you dad
every time we’re on tour we’re traveling
I end up just an hour it never stops how
much inspiration has he been to yeah
been great I mean he comes comes out
most weeks and um it’s just made life a
lot easier for me especially starting I
I haven’t had to really worry about
about things or run into the locker room
and sort of s just to sort of help me
sort of focus on the golf and sort of be
able to go out there and play freely
without having to worry about doing
other things it’s been a big he defin
it’s a big roll for sure right well you
just got a flick in here do you have a
5854 and 50
uh 50 5050 at 54 50 and a 46 I don’t use
a I use a
wedge yeah looks pen High perfect it’s
all right great shot what’s the best bit
of advice you’ve ever been given is
there one stand out thing where you got
that’s actually really
good um I played golf
with Paul McGinley about oh he’s awesome
five or six years ago maybe four or five
years ago yeah and he I remember him
saying
about rest and stuff and sort of if
you’re getting if you’ve got the a
tournament and you feel like you don’t
have it fully mhm not the sort of panic
or flat and start going to the range and
trying to find it and tiring yourself
out yeah so I think that’s sort of
something that’s always sort of stuck
with me because I feel like with golf
anyway you could go out on Wednesday and
chop it around and then come Thursday
it’s just back to back to normal I think
sort of remember him telling me that and
that’s probably something that I’ve sort
of taken quite seriously as the rest I
mean there some Bag tiring tiring weeks
and long days so sort of just going and
and not killing yourself out there
before the tournament starts I’d say
that’s probably something that’s
definitely stuck with me I mean I’ve
gotten advice off a lot of people but
that sort of is one of the ones that
sort of has has stayed there he is
awesome it’s like training isn’t it rest
and Recovery is just as important 100%
Paul McGinley is a great talker he can
also talk forever but he I find him so
fascinating to listen to yeah it was it
was a good day I remember we played with
him and and and his son um and it was it
was good fun just sort of being able to
play play with them and and sort of pick
their pick their r a little bit at the
Irish open quite a few years back uh we
actually had dinner with Paul and some
other of his mates and stuff and he
actually gave us the heads up about you
you said look out for this guy called
Tommy given very good here you are
go on stretch go stretch good speed do
you like to set goals you have many
aspirations for the rest of this year um
you’ve had a relatively decent start to
season haven’t you finished what fourth
in guitar and yeah ninth in essay I’ve
um I wouldn’t say I’ve got
like like goals as such as I want like
positions or I sort of just try and sort
of set sort of mini goals like
look at starts and trying to improve
certain bits which then I feel like will
then improve the results you prefer
focusing on the little wins and yeah I
just feel like if I say I want to win or
finish it puts too much pressure on
yourself to go and do it and I feel like
golf so s in your head that if you’re
thinking about stuff too much it it’s
probably not going to end well yeah
there’s no right or wrong really
no that’s in oh early call looks so good
thought I had that great roll it comes
off the face beautifully that one yeah
it’s nice right on to number
nine let’s give it a go so uh ninth hole
from The Backs 483 y blind on the end
Tom you’re Abol freezing so go for
it down Bree oh it’s the only good thing
right now
wow this is so cool I don’t think you
ever get bored of this definitely not no
you could play this every day for the
rest of your life way Tom it’s been an
absolute pleasure it’s been great I’ve
had so much fun I kind of want to take
you on the back n yeah I don’t think
nine holes are enough we need to go back
out and play the back right let’s do it
n
[Music]