Prayad Marksaeng was officially crowned the Japan Senior Tour No.1 with three tournaments still to play.
In his ninth event at the Fujifilm Senior Championship on Saturday, the 50-year-old finished joint second along with Shinishi Akiba on five-under 211, one shot behind winner Naoyuki Tamura.
Despite failing to win his fifth title of the year, Prayad took home ¥5,775,000 (about 1.9 million baht) from the three-day tournament, which was enough to ensure he will finish on top of the money list with ¥62,278,000 (about 21 million baht).
The Hua Hin native is ¥27,694,250 ahead of second-placed Takeshi Sakiyama (¥34,583,750) and even if the Japanese wins the remaining three events, he cannot catch the Thai.
"I am extremely happy and proud of myself to win the crown in just my first year on the tour," said Prayad, who was officially announced as "the Japan PGA Senior Tour Order of Merit King" on Saturday, the first Thai golfer to do so.
Prayad said that he really wanted to win the Fujifilm Senior Championship, his last event on the tour this year, so that he could dedicate the victory to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej who passed away last month.
"I am sorry I haven't been able to win for the late King this time," he said.
"However, I am still honoured to win his tournaments -- the King's Cup and the Thailand Open -- and the Queen's Cup."
The Thai made his senior tour debut with a runner-up spot at the Kyoraku More Surprise Cup in May and then finished sixth at the Start Senior Golf Tournament in June before winning his first title at the Maruhan Cup Taiheiyo Club Senior in July.
He followed that win with victories at the Komatsu Open, the 26th Japan Senior Open Golf Championship and the PGA Senior Championship last month.
As the money winner, Prayad will receive a three-year exemption on the tour, and next year he is eligible for the US Senior Open, British Senior Open and US Senior PGA Championship.
He has also earned a place at the ¥57 million, nine-player invitation event, the 2016 Hitachi 3Tours Championship, which starts on Dec 11.
Prayad, who will now return to the Japan Tour where he has won five titles, will play at the Taiheiyo Masters in Shizuoka next week and the Dunlop Phoenix the following week, his final event on the Japan Tour this year.
Boonchu Ruangkit, who won his only Japan Senior Tour title in 2013, is now 42nd on the money list. To keep a card for next season, he needs to be in the top 30 and has three events left to move up the tour rankings.
