It would have made sense for Lexi Thompson to play the middle of the green on 18th of the CME Group Tour Championship on Sunday. With Thompson having a comfortable four stroke lead, there was no point in taking unnecessary risks playing the flag dangerously placed to the right. But she did. The ball landed around 1,5m in the morning, a sign of unwavering determination in what has become the 23-year-old's comeback tournament.

CME Group Tour Championship: for Lexi Thompson, a victory under the sign of redemption

Lexi Thompson - Photo: DR

The story of redemption is a beautiful one for Thompson. Last year, at the same event, on the same 18th green, Thompson missed a 50cm putt that would no doubt have won him the tournament. This gave Ariya Jutanugarn an opening; all she needed was a birdie on the last two holes to win the CME Group Tour Championship and regain the title of player of the year from Thompson. Jutanugarn made the birdies one after the other, and what would have been a fairy tale to Thompson turned into a nightmare, tempered only by the million dollar bonus that Thompson earned for winning the Race to CME Globe, which closes the season.

This time, Thompson could have finished with 5 putts and claimed the victory. The birdie escaped him about 1,5m to return to par. She finished confidently, with -18 total giving her a victory with a four-stroke lead over Nelly Korda. Instead of receiving the consolation hugs of friends and family as she left the 18th green, she was sharing the big success this year with her brother Curtis, who, after failing in a Monday qualifying session to qualify for the RSM Classic of the PGA Tour, served as a caddy this weekend.

The story of why this victory is a redefinition for Thompson is more complicated. It's about the state of mind of a young woman, barely 23, and the importance of spending time on the course to practice golf.

It became apparent that there was something wrong when Thompson pulled out of the Ricoh Women's British Open. That drop turned into a month off from the LPGA. She explained on Instagram: "I haven't really felt like myself for a while", “So I take this time to recharge my mental batteries and focus on professional golf. "

For an Instagram account full of images of Thompson working and playing golf, his honest and open article on the need to maintain his sanity was as surprising as it was commendable. After the year 2017 she had with the ANA rules debacle and the missed putt at CME, combined with her mother's cancer diagnosis and treatment, no one could argue that she didn't need time to recover.

After his break, Thompson's game was still off. She missed two cuts - a rarity for her. And she was still winless. This would not be a significant note for many players, but Thompson had won at least one event each season since the 2013 season.

A few weeks before the CME Group Tour Championship, Thompson posted another Instagram post, which was again out of his normal pace on social media. In this post, she spoke about the difficulties she encountered with her body image. The post garnered support and attention from her fans, as other young women recounted their own experiences and parents applauded Thompson as an inspiration for their daughters.

In both of these cases on social media, Thompson did something that came to light in a new light. Yes, she competed in her first US Women's Open when she was 12, and yes, she turned pro when she was 16, and no, she didn't go to a regular high school or the normal life of a high school girl. . But the message she was sending was clear: Lexi Thompson is more than a golfer.

It seems obvious and this seven word statement is easy to write. But its essence is more complex. And that's probably because Thompson never really introduced herself as a golfer. Obviously, she's a normal person with normal experiences. But the public largely sees her as a competitive, powerful and driven athlete. Her courage, hardness and greatness distinguished her. Now she is redefining herself as a struggling young woman that even a successful athletic career cannot shield you from the very human reality of being 23 and needing to take care of yourself.

"It's been a long year"said Thompson after the trophy ceremony at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. “The ups and downs and issues I have encountered have all hit me hard this year. Being able to end the year like this and keep fighting all year has been a world to me. Show that anything is possible. You have to fight against what you are going through. "

After all these hardships, if there is something that characterizes Lexi Thompson, it's her resilience.

A real consecration for world number one Jutanugarn, already elected 2018 player of the year, she closes her winning season of the Race to CME Globeet and leaves with a bonus of one million dollars.

Céline Boutier only French woman in the race finishes 37th

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