13-year-old Irish golfer to make pro debut after some help from Niall Horan

Good luck, Tom McKibbin.

The 13-year-old golfer will make his professional debut at the Northern Ireland Open on Thursday, after receiving an invite to the event from the golf management company owned by Niall Horan. McKibbin only took up the game four years ago, but won the Junior World Championships in 2015 and has been tipped to follow in Rory McIlroy's footsteps. The Belfast youngster is a member of McIlroy's Holywood club, and his development has caught the attention of the World number four. "Because of the local connection, I have been following Tom's progress closely and it has been great to see him enjoy such success, particularly in the United States at such a young age," McIlroy said.

"I've also enjoyed spending time in his company and if any of my experiences so far can have a positive influence on him, that would be fantastic. I hope to see a lot more of Tom in the future."

McGibbin is excited about his professional debut. "The course is a lot longer than what I'm used to and the rough is also a lot deeper," the 13-year-old told BBC Sport.

"I can't get to five of the par-fours in two shots so my chipping and putting is going to need to be on but I'm still really looking forward to the week."