GB&I unaffected by McKibbin LIV speculation – Rose

As Great Britain and Ireland prepare for the Team Cup this week, according to Captain Justin Rose, there hasn’t been any skepticism about Tom McKibbin’s future.

Just two months after earning his first PGA Tour card, it became known that the Northern Irishman is preparing to make a shocking move to LIV Golf.

McKibbin, who is expected to join Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII team, refused to comment on his future on Wednesday.

“I think we’re all aware of that. Before the start of the Ryder Cup-style competition in Abu Dhabi on Friday, Rose told BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter, “It hasn’t been confirmed to me, but it hasn’t been denied”, Rose said.

The team room is where the team members are staying this week, not the other way around.

Since the Saudi Arabian-backed circuit was founded in 2022, the former world number one claimed players have grown to be used to speculating about their peers joining LIV Golf.

“I believe that all of that will change in the future, and we’ve been playing golf for a while, and it’s been unsettling,” Rose continued.

As he prepares to compete in his seventh Ryder Cup, Rose, who is captain of the Team Cup against Francesco Molinari’s continental European side, wants to play with more consistency in 2025.

The 2013 US Open champion was one of Europe’s top picks for the 2023 victory over the United States in Rome, and he is aiming to make a team debut for New York this year.

Rose finished in second place to Xander Schauffele at the Open Championship in July despite not winning a tournament in 2024.

“This year, I’ve woken up more motivated than ever”, said the 44-year-old.

“The chance to win the Open last year and the fact that I had some good results last year showed that I still have what it takes to play at the highest level.

This year, I have a job that I’m supposed to do that with more consistency than I have in the last couple of seasons.