Thompson’s miss spreads awards in LPGA

NAPLES — Lexi Thompson won $1 million for the CME Race to the Globe and left so much more behind Sunday in the LPGA Tour's final event.

Thompson was poised to win the CME Group Tour Championship and LPGA player of the year until she jabbed at a 2-foot par putt and missed it on the 18th hole at Tiburon Golf Club.

That paved the way for Ariya Jutanugarn, who birdied her last two holes for a 5-under 67 and a oneshot victory. It was a wild ending to the LPGA Tour season and sent four players home with a trophy of some variety.

Although she lost the tournament, Thompson still won the CME Race to the Globe and the $1 million bonus. She also won the Vare Trophy for having the lowest adjusted scoring average.

Thompson had to win the tournament to be player of the year. Instead, the points-based LPGA player of the year was a tie between a pair of major champions from South Korea, So Yeon Ryu and LPGA rookie Sung Hyun Park. It was the first time the award was shared since it began in 1966.

Park, the U.S. Women's Open champion, was trying to become the first rookie since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to sweep the major awards. She already had won rookie of the year. She had to settle for a tie for player of the year, and her 75 in the third round damaged her chances of winning the Vare Trophy.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — Austin Cook was chased by proven PGA Tour winners all day at the RSM Classic. Now the Arkansas player is one of them. The PGA Tour rookie held off veterans Brian Gay, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner and Brian Harman on Sunday at the chilly, windy Sea Island Club's Seaside Course.

Cook closed with a 3-under 67 for a four-stroke victory over J.J. Spaun. The victory in the final PGA Tour event of the calendar year gave Cook a spot in the Masters next year. Spaun shot a 66. Cook, the 26-year-old from Little Rock, earned $1,116,000 and improved to third on the FedEx Cup points list.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Tommy Fleetwood was crowned the European Tour’s Race to Dubai champion Sunday after a spectacular collapse on the back nine by his nearest challenger, Justin Rose. He appeared to be on track for a third win in as many starts when he eased to a 19-under total after 11 holes Sunday without any trouble on the Earth course of Jumeirah Golf Estates. But his round unraveled after that with bogeys on the 12th, 14th and 16th holes to finish with a 2-under 70 and a share of fourth place. The season-ending tournament was won by Spain's Jon Rahm, who fired a 67 for a 19-under 269.