Thompson wins season title, but misses out on No. 1

NAPLES— Lexi Thompson never had a putt so short thatwas potentiallyworth so much.

She had a one-shot lead when she settled over a 2-foot par putt on the final hole Sunday at the CME Group Tour Championship. A victory would be worth $500,000 in prize money and$1million in abonus. She would win LPGA player of the yearandtheVareTrophy for the lowest scoring average.

She would rise theworld. She missed. Moments later, Ariya Jutanugarn capped off her birdie-birdie finish with an 18-foot putt to win the tournamentanddenyThompson three of those perks.

“I don’t really know what to No. 1 in happened there,” Thompson said. “It just happens. I guess it’s golf. I guess we all go through situations we don’t like sometimes.”

Thompson, of Delray Beach, has gone through her share of them this year. Unlike the others, this onecame with a $1million consolation.

Jutanugarn birdied four of his last six holes for a 5-under 67 and seizedonher good fortune when Thompson missed the short putt to win the CME Group Tour Championship and the $500,000 first prize.

Although she lost the tournament, Thompson still won the CME Race to the Globe and the $1 million bonus, along with the Vare Trophy.

Thompson had to win the tournament to be player of the year. Instead, the pointsbased LPGA player of the yearwas 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 in1966.

Park, the U.S. Women’s Open champion, was trying to become the first rookie sinceNancy Lopez in 1978 to sweep the major awards. She already had won rookie of the year.