Photography courtesy of Epson Tour
Golf can be cruel even to the game's best.
Even a slight bit of doubt can erode confidence and send a player's game spiraling.
For Bailey Tardy, all the uncertainty was finally erased after a grueling two weeks and eight rounds in Alabama this past December at LPGA Q-Series where she earned her tour card and realized her lifelong dream of playing amongst the best in women's golf.
Following close calls with earning her LPGA card the previous two years, battling injury issues and struggling on the course, Tardy was unsure of her future in professional golf.
In 2020 and 2021, Tardy missed the coveted prize through the Epson Tour money list by a total of three spots.
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, only the top five finishers on the 2020 money list earned their card for 2021. Tardy finished sixth missing out by $343. When the total returned to the top 10 the next year, Tardy came up just short again with a 12th place finish.
The heartbreak of her lifelong dream being within her fingertips but still seeming so far away created some of that doubt in Tardy, who before was quite confident in her abilities. Add oon the knee surgery, missing five of her seven cuts of 2022 and some uncertainty when it came to equipment, Tardy was in unfamiliar territory.
"I wasn't playing well and all of a sudden I couldn't get the equipment I needed and had to pay for some of it," Tardy said. "That was a different world for me. I had not paid for clubs since I was in eighth grade. It was a shock because I needed to start playing better or consider a different job. I started interviewing for different jobs and thinking about what field I would be interested in if I wasn't playing golf."
But something in Tardy told her to keep the course for a bit longer.
"I knew if I quit golf in the middle of the year, I knew I would regret it," Tardy said. "I would sit at a desk job and wonder if I had grinded it out for another six months and got my card how different my life would be."
Oh, how right she was.
Tardy instead turned her focus and determination to another level eliminating distractions in her life that would not help her reach her LPGA aspirations. It worked.
In late August, Tardy's game came around and she finished the 2022 Epson Tour schedule on a tear with six-straight top 30s, including three-straight top fives to close out the year to move inside the top-10. But when she concluded her final round at the Epson Tour Championship in third place finishing three shots back of the lead, she found herself in 11th place on the money list.
Another heartbreak.
"There was a rumor that if I finished solo third at the tour championship then I'd finish inside the top 10," Tardy said. "I didn't really rely on that though. I wanted to put myself in position to win the event and that is what I did.
"Some girls birdied coming down the stretch and that switched up the money distribution pushing me to 11th. I can't control what other girls do and I was proud of the way I finished.
"There were so many emotions that went through my mind, but I think I was more proud of myself and more confident in my game than I've ever been. I knew if I took a couple weeks off, focused on my weaknesses and stayed healthy, then I'd have a pretty good chance of getting my card at Q-Series."
And she delivered.
For 144 holes over two weeks in Mobile and Dothan, Alabama, Tardy proved she belonged finishing second to earn her way to the LPGA Tour. Tardy knocked in 43 birdies and one eagle along the way and ended in style with a bogey-free 7-under-par 65 in the final round.
Not bad considering Tardy almost didn't sign up for Q-Series.
"Falling just short of my card the previous two years, it was just a sour taste in my mouth," Tardy said. "I didn't really want to go and go through that with it already being a long season. It is just a lot mentally. I decided to sign up and was going to give it my all.
"Those two weeks are just so grueling. It is just a marathon. It is who can stay mentally composed for eight consecutive rounds."
Now, the LPGA dream is finally a reality.
"It was a huge sigh of relief," Tardy said. "My parents had come down and surprised me. All the hard work and years of grinding it out. I had so many times where I thought I wasn't cut out for this and couldn't get to the LPGA. But I've had so much support around me helping me grind it out and get through the bad days.
"I was extremely nervous for the last round. I think I birdied a couple of the first few holes and after that the nerves kind of went away. At the end of the day, you are just playing golf. Yes, my LPGA card was on the line. I had played so well the last seven rounds, so I was able to rely on that and kept my confidence up."
Now with the weight of earning her card off her shoulders, Tardy's confidence is back and she's ready to make her mark during her rookie campaign in 2023.
"It makes you a little speechless," Tardy said. "At the end of the day, I've always believed in myself that I could play at this level. It is kind of like 'finally' you are proving yourself right and what your ability is. I'm finally here and now it's time to be No. 1 in the world.
"We've always joked around that the Epson Tour is kind of like training wheels. You have your training wheels until you can ride the big bike. I've finally knocked off the training wheels and know what professional golf is like. I know how to handle being on the road and the mental side of things. I know what it takes to be successful.
"It's a sigh of relief that I get to compete with the best in the world. It's been the dream ever since I picked up a golf club."