Golf: Pitch perfect end to Lee's year

Danny Lee shot 65 in the final round of the Tour Championship. Photo / AP

Kiwi golfer caps season with huge payday, proving once again why he belongs among elite.

They played for millions at the golfing home of Bobby Jones, the most famous amateur in the game.

When Jordan Spieth dropped his last putt at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, he took the title, the US$10m FedEx Cup bonus and the No1 world ranking after a turbulent six weeks as that honour switched between himself, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day.

Most of the media attention was on 22-year-old Spieth after his stellar year in which he banked a nifty US$22 million ($34.4 million) in tournament earnings. There were nods to others in the field, such as Henrik Stenson, Day, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler.

Fowler made the pre-tournament headlines when he drew hearts on the carpark sign reserved for his girlfriend-seeking Kiwi buddy Danny Lee. Lee responded by surrounding Fowler's car in safety cones, all orange in a nod to Fowler's favourite fashion choice.

It was about Lee's media lot at the Tour Championship even after he sizzled home with a 65 to finish second equal, four shots behind Spieth.

Lee collected US$618,750 for his 69-72-69-65 four-round total of 275, which bumped his annual earnings to US$3,965,933. He had seven birdies and two bogeys in his final round at East Lake, with a total of eight bogeys and one double in his four rounds.

Only 30 players contested the tournament in Atlanta after three earlier knockout events and a number of other culls. Lee tied for second with former US Open-winner Justin Rose and Stenson, who sank a 57-foot birdie on the last.

World rankings released yesterday had Lee at 35th after starting the year in 202nd position.

It has been a monumental year for the 25-year-old who claimed his first PGA title in July at the Greenbrier Classic then made his first cut in a major where he tied for 43rd in the US PGA.

He played 36 tournaments and made 24 cuts this season with one victory, a second, two thirds and eight top 10s in his results chart which shows a scoring average of 70.39.

Lee may have more Kiwi company on next year's tour after Tim Wilkinson finished ninth and Steven Alker 16th in their latest work on the Web.com Tour playoffs this week. Wilkinson is ranked 19th and Alker 35th, with the top 25 who have not already qualified for next year's PGA tour getting cards after this weekend's final event at TPC Sawgrass.

US$359,112
2012 earnings from 26 events
$112,000
2013 earnings from 1 event
$781,295
2014 earnings from 28 events
$3,965,933
2015 earnings from 36 events, eight top 10 finishes, one title