BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — Jon Rahm capped off his first year in the LIV Golf League by finishing with a 4-under 66 to win the final individual event on Sunday and the season points title with his $18 million bonus.
Rahm missed a pair of short birdie putts on the back nine that kept Joaquin Niemann and Sergio Garcia in the mix. But then he holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to put him three shots to the last at Bolingbrook Golf Course.
Rahm won for the second time in the Saudi-funded league, extending his title in England last month. In between those wins, he lost in a playoff to Brooks Koepka.
Niemann, a two-time winner at the start of the season, was the only player who could have challenged Rahm for the season title. He opened with two early birdies but could never get going, finishing within two shots after a birdie at the 15th and a big par save at the 16th.
Niemann shot a 66, while Garcia shot a 68. They tied for second.
“I wanted to put on a good show and get it over the line. I’m really happy,” said Rahm, who said he was nervous on the practice field. “Going bogey-free on the weekend, that’s pretty spectacular. I’m very proud of the putt on the 17th, which made 18 a lot easier.
The Crushers won the team title and will advance to the Dallas-area team championships next week ending the third season.
Rahm, who finished at 11-under 199, won $4 million from the tournament and $18 million for capturing the season’s run. He was the biggest name to join the Saudi-backed league last December and was in the top 10 at every LIV event he completed. Rahm had to pull out of the Houston event with a toe infection, which also knocked him out of the US Open.
Lucas Herbert shot a 68 and tied for sixth, moving him into the top 24, guaranteeing him a spot in the LIV Golf League next year. Kalle Samooja played his way into the top 48, which means he avoids relegation. But then he bogeyed two of the last three holes and has to go through a qualifier to get back in.