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Gareth Fullerton

Tom McKibbin wins maiden DP World Tour title in front of emotional dad

Holywood's Tom McKibbin hailed his maiden DP World Tour title on Sunday as "pretty amazing" as he claimed a sensational victory in Germany.

The 20-year-old held his nerve on the final day to lift the Porsche European Open in Hamburg.

McKibbin finished two shots ahead of Maxmilian Kieffer and Marcel Siem at Green Eagle Golf Courses, after starting his round as part of a six-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.

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The win guarantees his place on the DP World Tour next season and he also takes home £292,700 in prizemoney.

"It probably hasn't sunk in for me. It probably won't sink in until tomorrow," McKibbin told Sky Sports.

Tom McKibbin during Sunday's final round (Getty)

"But to have my dad here is special. He comes with me most weeks, and to win it in front of him was pretty amazing."

He added: "It feels pretty amazing. It was a good day.

"It was nice to put a really nice round together.

"I learned that I am good enough to win. I always thought I was but to prove it today was pretty special.

"I guess I learnt a lot from failures and missing cuts by a shot. And just missing things so slightly.

"So I took all those things and used them today."

McKibbin - who hails from the same club as Rory McIlroy - hit a sensational approach shot to the 18th to help wrap up his win. It set up a closing birdie for the 20-year-old.

"The second shot into 18 was probably one of the best I have hot. It was sort of tricky, and it wasn't," he modestly said.

"I was trying to hit it into the right edge of the green, and if I turned it over I knew the water wasn't in play. So it looked really good on camera, but it was the easier shot."

McKibbin's win tees up a potential Holywood Golf Club double on Sunday, with Rory McIlroy bang in contention at the Memorial Tournament heading into the final day.

McIlroy starts the final round of the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament tied for the lead at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

The World No.3 is at six-under-par alongside Si Woo Kim and David Lipsky.

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