Dustin Johnson leads team to win at LIV Golf finale, extends earnings to $35 million
Dustin Johnson won the individual championship of LIV Golf’s inaugural season earlier this month. The golfer bagged a whopping $18 million as a bonus for winning the title. This took the two-time major winner’s earnings from LIV Golf to over $30 million. Now, the golfer has extended it.
Johnson, the King of LIV Golf in 2022, led his team to a win in the LIV finale in Miami on Sunday. The golfer’s 4Aces side defeated Cameron Smith and Punch GC to take the win. He watched the final putt of his season roll in and threw his fist in the air to celebrate. With the victory, Johnson has taken his earnings from the rebel series to over $35 million.
Aces High 🥇🏆
#LIVGolf #LIVGolfMiami https://t.co/qTFZajrfmr
Dustin Johnson leads 4Aces to LIV Golf Team Championship win
4Aces arrived at the Trump National Doral in Miami as a favorite to win the 2022 LIV Golf Team Championship. The team, unbeaten on American soil this year, stepped up to take the win. Johnson (70), Reed (70), Talor Gooch (71), and Pat Perez (70) shot a combined 7 under 281 on the par-72 on Sunday.
The team put in a dominant performance yet another time at this event to claim the top prize of $16 million. Johnson, Patrick Reed, Talor Gooch, and Pat Perez won $4 million for the victory. Despite the win being a team showing, it was team captain Dustin Johnson who once again put in a standout performance. Having defected to LIV Golf after receiving a reported $125 million signing bonus, Johnson has been excellent.
The former PGA Tour champion drove the green on the 370-yard par-4 16th to set up an easy birdie. Patrick Reed birdied his last hole, which eventually saw his side capture the win against Punch GC in Miami.
#4ACES are our 2022 Team Champions 🏆
#LIVGolf #LIVGolfMiami https://t.co/QSwg78R9ej
Johnson’s team win extended his year’s earnings from LIV Golf. His $35,637,767 earnings make him the biggest money winner in the first year of the Saudi-backed LIV tour. The golfer stated that it felt “unbelievable” to cap the season off with a win.
He said:
“It’s been amazing. Obviously, the fans (are) what makes it. This week’s been incredible. This whole season has gotten better and better and obviously this finale has been unbelievable.”
Hear from @DJohnsonPGA following 4 Aces' dramatic victory in Miami!
#LIVGolf #LIVGolfMiami https://t.co/CM8TWXrjTv
Meanwhile, Cameron Smith shot the low round of the day, a 7-under 65. His Punch side finished one shot behind the 4Aces to settle for second place. The team took home $8 million in prizes. It was Brooks Koepka’s Smash that finished in third. They claimed the $6 million prize check while Louis Oosthuizen’s Stinger side settled for $4 million with a fourth-place finish.
With the first season out of the way, LIV Golf is now in with plans to grow the series. The Saudi-backed series now goes into a three-month break. However, it is set to come back bigger as reports claim that LIV will grow from eight to 14 events in 2023. The event is expected to have a larger prize purse, which in turn is expected to attract more golfers to the series.
It is also noteworthy that players will receive more sums in signing bonuses from the wealthy series.