Despite Disappointing Rory McIlroy, Fellow Irish Golfer Defends LIV Switch: ‘A Lot of Money Around It’

Everything was in place for the 22-year-old. Tom McKibbin became the youngest winner from the island of Ireland since Rory McIlroy when he won the 2023 Porsche European Open in just his 26th start on the DP World Tour, and was also twice named the Men’s Professional of the Year by the Irish Golf Writers’ Association. He had nine top-10 finishes and was ranked the 18th-best player that season, earning his card for the 2025 PGA Tour season. Instead, he shook things up. By joining LIV Golf in January. He found his calling with Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII GC. He has no regrets even today, much to the disappointment of his mentor, Rory McIlroy.

“I’ve no regrets. I love being there, and being able to come and play some events over here is really good as well,” Tom told the BBC this week at the 2025 Irish Open, reflecting on his decision. McKibbin was reportedly offered a $5 million signing bonus when he moved to LIV, and now he feels “fortunate” to be a multi-millionaire at such a young age. “With how golf is now, there is a lot of money around it. To be part of it and be able to benefit from it is good, but I want to let my golf do the talking, and that’s more important,” he said, openly acknowledging that the financial rewards of the Saudi-backed league played a big role in his choice. But McKibbin’s move didn’t sit well with McIlroy, who has been his mentor for many years.

Rory McIlroy, who has known Tom McKibbin since he was 10-11 years old, expressed his disappointment with McKibbin’s choice. Speaking at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January this year, McIlroy said, “Personally, for me it would be a little disappointing if it were to happen. But I made it perfectly clear: I am not going to stand your way if you need to make the decision you feel like you need to make for yourself.”  Still, McIlroy had warned of the potential sacrifices before McKibbin made the move. “I feel like he’s giving up a lot to not really benefit that much. For whatever the benefit may be, I don’t think it’s worth the sacrifice to what he’s potentially going to give up,” he added.

And Rory McIlroy was right. Tom McKibbin‘s move to LIV hasn’t come without its challenges. By joining LIV Golf, he sacrificed the chance to earn world ranking points, which could make qualifying for majors and the Ryder Cup in the future more difficult. McKibbin did play the PGA Championship (tied 50th) and the Open (missed cut) this year because of his performances on the DP World Tour. But with the situation between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf looking unlikely to be resolved anytime in the near future, McKibbin’s move may have impacted his long-term opportunities.

So far, his debut LIV season has been solid, finishing 20th in the points standings with four top-10 finishes and helping Legion XIII secure the team championship in Michigan last week. His involvement in Jon Rahm’s team has led them to impeccable success this season, as they have had only one finish outside the top-5 (in Virginia) and racked up four wins in the 2025 season. Tom earned a total of $5.77 million in LIV Golf prize money for 2025, after adding $1.4 million to his previous earnings following Legion XIII’s win in Michigan in late August 2025.

Still, McKibbin isn’t turning his back on the main tours entirely. The Northern Irishman has made it clear he wants to keep playing in events like the Irish Open, and hopes the ongoing tension between LIV and the PGA Tour can be resolved soon.

Tom McKibbin hopes the tension between LIV and the PGA Tour is resolved

Tom McKibbin may have found early success with LIV Golf, but he’s not shutting the door on the PGA and the DP World Tour. The 22-year-old still has his sights set on events beyond the LIV schedule and is hopeful of unification.

“I think everyone just wants it to work out and play together. We’re all hopeful it can happen, so hopefully this isn’t my last one [Irish Open] for a while,” he said on Tuesday. Despite securing a jaw-dropping $5 million signing bonus, McKibbin clearly values the history and prestige of tournaments like the Irish Open and the chance to compete more globally.

“I want to win more. It is life-changing, and to be fortunate enough to have that is nice, but hopefully I can get a few more wins,” he added. While he currently retains DP World Tour membership, he knows the situation could shift. For a player who rose quickly through the ranks on the DP World Tour— with nine top-10s and a win in just his second full season — maintaining access to those events still matters.

“There’s some big tournaments and national Opens to play. I want to try and win those, so there’s definitely something important for me still here,” he said. His move to LIV may have shaken the golf world, but it’s clear McKibbin doesn’t want it to come at the cost of everything else.