Dustin Johnson has won $18m (£16.2m) after securing the individual title in the LIV Series with a 16th-place finish at the latest tournament in Bangkok.
The 38-year-old American’s placing in Thailand means he has a 42-point lead over Branden Grace going into the final tournament of the Saudi-backed series later this week. Players gain 40 points for a tournament win, meaning Grace cannot overtake Johnson at the top of the standings. Grace will win $8m if he finishes in second place, with the third-placed player being awarded $4m.
“Locking up the individual competition is big,” said Johnson. “It’s an honor to be LIV’s first individual season champion.”
LIV’s season will end with 12 teams competing for a $50m prize at a tournament in Miami at the end of October.
LIV tournaments do not count towards the world rankings, and players who compete in the breakaway series have been banned from the PGA Tour. Johnson earned $5m in prize money in his last full season on the PGA Tour.
The LIV Series has caused a rift between its players and those who have chosen to stay loyal to the PGA Tour. Critics say the LIV Series is little more than a PR exercise for a Saudi regime that has been accused of a series of human rights violations.
