LIV Golf star who ignored Rory McIlroy topples Phil Mickelson as snub pays off

Rory McIlroy banked big at the BMW Championship on Sunday, but Tom McKibbin was raking in an impressive cheque of his own after impressing once more on the LIV Golf circuit

Golf sensation Tom McKibbin is making strides in his career since joining LIV, edging closer to matching Rory McIlroy in one area. The Belfast-born starlet, who was until recently earning a fraction of McIlroy’s winnings on the European Tour, has now amassed half of his compatriot’s earnings in 2025.

Despite finishing tied for 22nd at LIV Golf Indianapolis on Sunday, the 22-year-old still pocketed an impressive £150,000. This means he’ll conclude his debut year on the Saudi-backed series with approximately £3.2million in individual earnings as the season culminates with the Team Championship in Michigan this weekend.

Moreover, McKibbin’s Legion XIII outfit also secured second in the team competition at Indianapolis, splitting another £1.1m prize. Belfast Live reported this translates to an additional £277,000 from this weekend alone, while McIlroy was busy earning £326,000 for his T12 finish at the BMW Championship, where Scottie Scheffler topped the leaderboard.

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With Legion’s four team victories and other results throughout 2025, McKibbin’s total LIV earnings for the year amount to around £6.3m. That’s not too shabby for a rising rookie who snubbed McIlroy’s calls to ignore the advances of LIV, where he’s yet to snag his first win.

Meanwhile, McIlroy, who finally clinched the Masters title and a career Grand Slam earlier this year, has significantly out-earned him on the PGA Tour. The Holywood hero has raked in about £12.3m so far this year, which is just under double McKibbin’s earnings.

While McKibbin’s winnings for the year are still significantly less than McIlroy’s, the gap between the two has noticeably shrunk compared to a year ago. To give some context, he had previously won just over £2.7m in total from the European Tour and PGA Tour combined before joining LIV.

This means he’s managed to more than double his career earnings from those tours in just one season with LIV. However, he’s still got quite a way to go before matching the £80m that McIlroy has accrued from his PGA Tour career.

Despite this, McKibbin will no doubt be chuffed with his progress as he continues to find his footing in LIV. He also has the bragging rights of out-earning a certain golfing legend this year.

Phil Mickelson, who has six major wins under his belt, is still waiting for his first LIV win since leading the PGA exodus in 2022. He finished T40 in Indianapolis on Sunday, ending his campaign with roughly £2,200 less than McKibbin in individual earnings.

That’s certainly not a bad achievement for McKibbin to have under his belt after less than a year with the Saudi organisation. And all signs point to the Northern Irishman becoming a serious contender in the near future.

Joining LIV as a newcomer this year and having such high-calibre team-mates has undoubtedly been beneficial. Team captain Jon Rahm successfully defended his individual championship despite not winning an individual event all year.

Securing a second-place finish in Indianapolis, he managed to edge past Joaquin Niemann on the overall leaderboard and bag the top prize once again. Meanwhile, McKibbin ended the year in 20th, securing his spot among the lock zone places for 2025.

Mickelson wrapped up the season in 24th place, just about clinching the final lock spot himself. It’s clear McKibbin has a long journey ahead if he hopes to match McIlroy’s legacy, having witnessed first-hand the PGA veteran’s legendary status in Northern Ireland at The Open this year.