In the summer of 2022, Bailey Tardy was unsure of her future in professional golf and thought about calling it quits.
Heck, she even interviewed for corporate jobs.
Fast forward roughly 18 months later, she can call herself an LPGA winner.
With the help of a stellar weekend of 66-65, Tardy captured the Blue Bay LPGA on March 10 in the People’s Republic of China at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course by four shots.
“There has been so much doubt in my career,” Tardy said. “Whether that was with myself and if I was even good enough to win at that level or from sponsors basically saying they want to sponsor other players. There was a lot of doubt in my head that maybe this wasn’t the career path for me.
“For me to finally breakthrough and prove to myself and others that this is where I belong and I can compete on this biggest stage, all of those emotions came pouring out after I made that final putt and realized I had just won an LPGA event.”
It’s been a long journey in golf for Tardy to compete against the best in the world, let alone win.
She had a stellar junior and amateur career and shined in Athens at the University of Georgia. But heartbreak followed during her first few years on the professional scene.
Tardy missed earning her LPGA card through the Epson Tour by one spot in 2020, two spots in 2021 and one again in 2022. On top of the close calls, Tardy had battled through injuries. The doubt of was it worth it continued to creep in her mind.
LPGA Q-Series in December 2022 was Tardy’s last chance to earn her LPGA card for 2023 and she had stated throughout the year she wasn’t going back to Q-Series.
But she knew she would regret it if she did not give her career her all and signed up.
Eight rounds later she finally captured the elusive LPGA card. That next summer, Tardy almost won the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach and now she finally broke through against the world’s best.
“Your highs can be so high but then it all can be stripped away in 24 hours,” Tardy stated. “I interviewed with Mizuno, and I think adidas. It ultimately came down to whether I’m ready to work in the industry that I failed at. That hit home.
“I wasn’t ready to do that stepping into the corporate world not giving 1,000 percent into professional golf. I would have regretted it. I decided to give it one more year and then I got my LPGA card. Then I played well at the U.S. Open and maintained my card. Now, I’m an LPGA winner. God has such a strange plan. I’m glad it’s panned out the way it has, but it hasn’t been easy that’s for sure.”
The belief this moment could come began manifesting following her performance at Pebble Beach. Lessons learned on arguably the biggest stage in women’s professional golf prepared her for next opportunity to lift a trophy in China.
“I watched Allisen Corpuz win that week pretty much side-by-side,” Tardy began. “I grew up playing golf with her. Seeing someone I know and their game and what they’ve done to get to this level, I’ve done that work too. I can do that too.
“In the moment at the U.S. Open, I didn’t necessarily believe in myself that I could win a U.S. Open. You take a step back and realize you aren’t giving yourself the credit for all the hard work you’ve put in and you can do that too. I can win an event out here. I used that to believe in myself and trust that I can actually do it. That’s what I did in China.”
Even when Sarah Schmelzel birdied the first three holes to begin the final round jumping out to a three-stroke lead on Tardy, the past GSGA Champion and Player of the Year knew her time would come.
“I was thinking okay let’s stay in this and be patient and the birdies will come,” Tardy, who also played with 20-time LPGA winner Lydia Ko during the weekend, recalled. “Sarah made her mistakes later on the front nine and I capitalized where I could on both the front and the back.”
Tardy certainly did.
She rolled in a 51-foot eagle putt on No. 8 and immediately followed it with a birdie on No. 9. A three-putt bogey on No. 10 stalled her momentum just for a moment, but Tardy put her foot back on the gas and birdied four of her next five holes to take control of the tournament. Though she didn’t know that.
“I’m not much of a leaderboard watcher,” Tardy admitted. “I just want to play the best I can. That’s what my game plan was to go as low as I can and play as well as I can. If someone beats me, I can say they beat me because that’s the best I had that day.
“Ruixin Liu was in a group ahead of us, and she had so many fans out there and they were cheering for everything. We thought she was making birdie after birdie after birdie. So, in my head, I thought she was having a career round and I needed to keep making more birdies and keep playing.”
The first time Tardy looked at a leaderboard? After No. 17 when she realized she led the tournament by five strokes. Even with a big lead, Tardy remained locked in until the job was finished.
“No. 18 was not an easy hole for me,” Tardy said. “The tee shot, second and third shots are all hard. It took a lot of focus. My caddy told me after I hit my second shot and had just a wedge into the green, he said let’s enjoy this walk. I looked at him and said, ‘not yet buddy.’ Looking back, I probably could have been a little bit more chill. I was so in the moment and that’s what fueled me to play well on that back nine.”
It was an emotional moment for Tardy once the final putt dropped as evident by the tears shed during her post-round interview. It was years of frustration and dedication finally paying off and proving she belongs amongst the best.
“It definitely validated all of the countless hours and work I put in,” Tardy said. “You figure it out and work to get better. Nobody really understands all the sacrifices you make to play professional golf. I’ve missed weddings, birthdays and time with my family and dog. I’m a home body, so for me to be traveling 20-30 weeks a year and be away from the people I love, it’s so hard and a huge sacrifice. To be successful and to win at the highest level and know it was all worth it.”
With her status secured for a couple more years, Tardy is now focused on her next big goal – representing the U.S.A. in the Solheim Cup.
No matter if that comes to fruition this year or future years or if she ever claims another title on the LPGA, Tardy’s performance in China this past March will always be part of her journey.
“Someone texted me that you may lose your card, but no one can ever take away that trophy,” Tardy said. “I am forever an LPGA winner.”