McKibbin on Masters debut: ‘try to not miss it again’

Hong Kong Open winner Tom McKibbin is frustrated about bowing out early in his Masters debut but says the experience has ignited his determination to return to Augusta National time and again. By Joy Chakravarty, Asian Tour contributor, reporting from Augusta.

The 23-year-old Northern Irishman from Holywood, now based in Dubai, carded 75 and 76 for a four-over total, missing the cut by three strokes.

His second-round 76 started disastrously with a double bogey and three bogeys in the first five holes, pushing him to five-over, before he steadied and played the final 13 holes in one under par.

Thailand's Fifa Laopakdee, the current Asia-Pacific Amateur champion, also missed out, ending at 11-over.

McKibbin earned his first Masters invite with last year's Hong Kong victory. "This is probably the first time I've been somewhere and thought, 'I don't want to miss this again,'" he said. "Getting in is tough, but I'd love to come back. It's the greatest tournament I've played—definitely want to return repeatedly."

Friday brought headaches for McKibbin. He hit two strong shots to the par-4 first green but misread the surface and three-putted from 30 yards for bogey. On the par-5 second, a superb drive landed in the left fairway, but his approach snagged a tree branch, resulting in double bogey.

"I struck plenty of quality shots overall, just a few extra putts and that one poor second shot that hurt," he reflected. "It was an irritating week, but so enjoyable—full of ups and downs, every emotion imaginable."

He called the two rounds and prep days invaluable lessons, particularly on the greens' quirks, which he believes will help down the line. "The top takeaway is the experience I gained," McKibbin noted. "More rounds here, especially on these greens, the better. They're the real challenge. The course shifts a lot from practice. Thursday felt like guesswork on speeds—uphill putts slower than expected, then Friday's dew slowed them further. You adapt by playing more.

"Longer putts over 25 feet? You're just defending against three-putts amid all that slope."

His standout moment: a precise 7-wood to the par-5 15th Friday, curving around trees to 20 feet for birdie. "It felt like those TV shots I've seen. Loved my approach to the 10th too," he said.

The LIV Golf League's Legion XIII member heads next to Mexico City for LIV Golf Mexico.