Lexi Thompson carries her dog Leo after winning the CME Group Tour Championship. (Alex Driehaus/Naples Daily News via USA TODAY NETWORK)

3. For the love of Leo

Lexi Thompson’s sparkling performance at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship – her first of 2018 – was among the most significant of her young career. Burdened from 18-months of hardship and disappointment, Thompson took a break mid-season to work on herself. It became obvious in Naples that her puppy, Leo, played a key role in helping Thompson feel like her old self. Her golf game looked vintage too, with the stock draw and old putter helping her back to the winner’s circle.