Tom McKibbin delivered some of "the best golf I've ever played" as he blew apart the field to win the Hong Kong Open by seven strokes, in the process booking his spot in next year's Masters and Open Championship.
Leading by one stroke overnight, the Down golfer seized the initiative on Sunday, with two birdies in the opening three holes giving him an early cushion.
Another followed at the par-3 eighth hole but it was early on the back nine that he really caught fire and put the tournament to bed once and for all. The 22-year old rattled in four birdies in five holes to reach 27-under par, comfortably clear of the floundering chasing pack.
He added his eighth birdie of the round at the 16th and it looked like the 30-under par mark may be in reach.
McKibbin would toss in his sole bogey of the round - and only his third of the week - at the 72nd, however it made little odds as the Irishman won at his ease, his first victory on the Asian Tour and his second as a professional, having claimed the European Open in Germany in 2023.
He is the third Irish winner of the tournament, following Padraig Harrington in 2003 and Rory McIlroy in 2011, both of their victories coming when it was a European Tour event.
The champion finished seven clear of runner-up Peter Uihlein, who started well on Sunday but whose faint prospects were sunk by a quadruple bogey 8 on the 14th.
McKibbin's playing partner, MJ Maguire, who carded a third round 61, stalled in his final round, concluding with an even par 70 to finish tied third with 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen and Japan's Tomoyo Ikemura on 19-under.
"It was obviously amazing, I played some of the best golf I've probably ever played," McKibbin told R&A TV after his round.
"It was a little strange building that big lead coming in. It was a little bit of a weird feeling. I just tried to take advantage of those holes that were birdie chances, par-5s and wedge opportunities. It was nice to take advantage of those and stretch out the lead coming in."
It capped off a 'wire-to-wire' victory for McKibbin, who began with a 10-under par 60 on Thursday and headed the leaderboard at the end of every round.
The victory means that McKibbin, a member of the breakaway LIV Tour, has secured a spot in the Masters field for the first time in his career, as well as a tee time at the 2026 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
"Very excited to go back and play my third Open, it'll be very cool. And to have that drive down Magnolia Lane for the first time ever will be even more special," McKibbin said.
