Rory McIlroy skips £1.3m payday as LIV Golf star who ignored him boosts net worth
One rising star of the LIV Golf League continues to prove he was perhaps justified to ignore Rory McIlroy's advice in favour of featuring on the Saudi-funded series
Rising golf star Tom McKibbin is perhaps proving he was right to snub Rory McIlroy 's advice against joining LIV Golf. Despite a 47th-place finish in South Korea on Sunday, the Belfast-born prodigy pocketed another substantial sum for his efforts.
The 22-year-old carded a 74 in each of his first two rounds at LIV Golf Korea before an improved Sunday saw him finish on four over. That was far behind Bryson DeChambeau 's impressive 19-under victory, but he still took home a consolation prize to make most of his peers envious.
Belfast Live reported that out of 54 players, only seven ranked below McKibbin in Incheon. Yet he still walked away from the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club £92,250 richer, highlighting the lucrative allure that likely enticed him away from the DP World Tour in the first place.
Masters champion McIlroy, 35, advised his Northern Irish compatriot against joining the controversial LIV series. But even the PGA Tour advocate would likely admit he can see why certain colleagues would be tempted to LIV's shores given the grand gulf between earnings on offer.
"If I were in his position, I wouldn't make that decision," McIlroy had said back in January when McKibbin announced his move. The youngster defected to Saudi-funded LIV despite being on the cusp of his PGA Tour debut following his success on the European Tour.
Meanwhile, McIlroy took a break from competition and watched from the sidelines while Scottie Scheffler clinched a £1.3m win at the Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas. McIlroy announced earlier in 2025 that he intended to play a relaxed schedule to spend more time with his family.
No1-ranked Scheffler finished 31-under across four rounds – eight ahead of runner-up Erik van Rooyen – to secure his first PGA Tour win of the year. In doing so, he matched the Tour's 72-hole scoring record, now shared with Justin Thomas and Ludvig Aberg.
Rasmus Hojgaard finished 48th at the Byron Nelson but pocketed just £20,800 for his troubles. That equates to less than a quarter of McKibbin's pay despite playing 33% more golf over the past weekend.
Some may still question the decision to represent the Saudi-funded series over golf's established Tours. However, the pay disparity illustrates what is driving those who have left – and continue to leave.
McKibbin also recently bagged £565,000 after Legion XIII triumphed in the team event at LIV Golf Mexico City in April. This meant he shared a £2.6m prize pot with team-mates Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt.
This marks the second time this season that the former Belfast Royal Academy student has managed to grab a slice of the pie. Legion XIII kicked off the 2025 campaign in style by also winning the team event at the season-opening LIV Golf Riyadh in February.
To put these figures into greater context, McKibbin has now won approximately £3.3m from just seven tournaments playing for LIV. Meanwhile, he took home £2.5m from 72 competitions playing under the DP World Tour banner.
McIlroy is set to compete next at the Truist Championship, which will get underway at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on Thursday. The Grand Slam champion will be eyeing his slice of the £15m prize fund, with a whopping £2.7m earmarked for the winner.
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