Rory McIlroy earns half of LIV star who defied him after Zurich Classic with Shane Lowry

Tom McKibbin bagged over £100,000 at , earning more than double what did this weekend. The Belfast native ignored the winner's advice when jumping ship for .

McKibbin turned professional in 2021 and on the , winning the Porsche European Open in 2023. His impressive performance led to an invitation to the PGA Tour, where he could have played alongside fellow . However, McKibbin opted for the LIV league, where he recently finished T34 on two-over at the Club de Golf Chapultepec, earning around £110k. In contrast, McIlroy, who finished 12th at the with PGA Tour partner Shane Lowry, took home less than half that amount.

Chilean golfer Joaquin Niemann continued his winning streak at the LIV tour in Mexico, securing his third individual victory in just six starts and taking home the top prize of £3million. However, McKibbin and his Legion XIII team-mates Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton, and Caleb Surratt celebrated winning the team title in Mexico City, along with a hefty £2.25m prize.

In addition to his £100k earnings, McKibbin will also receive a portion of the lucrative team prize pot, exceeding the winnings of McIlroy and Lowry after their commendable performance in Louisiana. The Ryder Cup colleagues reunited in an effort to retain the Zurich Classic of New Orleans title.

Despite being strong contenders as the weekend reached its peak, a final round 72 saw them finish the event tied for 12th, six shots behind eventual winners Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin, earning them £50k each.

Although McKibbin had a somewhat disappointing LIV outing, he still managed to earn over double what McIlroy made, despite the career Grand Slam winner having a more solid weekend of golf.

McKibbin, who developed his skills at the same Holywood Golf Club where McIlroy began his career, spoke about his interactions with his fellow countryman and why he chose to ignore his advice to reject the PGA Tour.

"It was definitely in my mind, but to me I wasn't in any of [the majors or Ryder Cup] anyway," McKibbin said when asked about speaking to McIlroy, whom he immediately contacted upon receiving an offer from LIV.

"The opportunity to play with these guys out here more often and more consistently was definitely a huge factor. I'm not in those majors anyway at the minute so that really didn't bother me too much.

"Being young and 22 I've watched this last couple years since [LIV] started. It's something I really like to watch. Something very different. It appeals to more people my age. The opportunity to learn from some of the best players in the world week in, week out is something that appealed very nicely to me. I liked the whole concept of everything."