Max Lee of Taiwan earns a spot in LIV Golf by winning promotions event

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Lee Chieh-po birdied four of his last five holes for a 7-under 64 in the morning and closed with a 68 in the afternoon to win the LIV Golf Promotions on Saturday, giving the 30-year-old from Taiwan a spot in the lucrative LIV Golf League next year.

Lee, who goes by the nickname “Max” given to him when he was 6, won by two shots over Branden Grace and Taichi Kho.

Only one person from the promotions event earned a spot in LIV Golf.

Lee becomes the first player from Taiwan to have full status in the Saudi-backed league. He has played primarily on the Asian Tour and some small circuits across Asia, and won for the first time as a pro earlier this year at the International Series Thailand on the Asian Tour.

Players who finished in the top 10 will get exemptions into all 10 tournaments on the International Series for next year. Grace, who was relegated out of the league after a poor performance, also could be re-signed by the Stinger team on LIV.

Among the top 10 were Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe, also relegated off LIV, and Ollie Schniederjans, a No. 1 amateur a decade ago whose PGA Tour hopes never materialized due to a series of injuries.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf