“I tried not to cry all day” - Samantha Wagner breaks down at Q-Series as she becomes tour-bound

It was a similar situation at last year's Q-Series when Samantha Wagner was tantalizingly close to getting the LPGA card. However, one mistake cost her as she finished short by one stroke.

As per Wagner's interview with Epson Tour.com, at the sixth hole of the first round, at -1, she picked up the ball and got six inches off the ground when she realized what she had done. She put it back down and no one noticed it, but she knew she made the mistake.

Once the hole was finished, Wagner informed Maddie McCrary about the incident. They informed the officials and a penalty was given. After 144 holes, she didn't make the cut, missing by just one stroke.

Samantha Wagner hugs her mom after the result of Q-Series final

However, this time, it was different. Samantha Wagner finished the two-week 144 holes-long Q-School final at 23 under, finishing T6 on the leaderboard.

As per Wagner, the LPGA Q-Series was a group effort. Her father was her caddie, her mother supported her from the gallery, and her brother on facetime, on the 144th hole.

“I tried not to cry all day,” said a relieved Wagner.

“There is definitely a lot of emotions going back into last week. I think last week, I literally would walk on every green with the ball marker in my hand,” Wagner revealed in her post match chat.

The 26-year-old believes she can compete on the LPGA tour and said that she was excited and looking forward to her next challenge.

Wagner ended the season with five top-35 finishes, which included two top-10 finishes. On the money list, she finished 31st.

Hae Ran Ryu finishes as medalist after Q-Series finals

46 players got the LPGA card for 2023

46 players from 21 countries in total got the LPGA card for 2023. Korea's Hae Ran Ryu finished the Q-series as a medalist after she ended the two-week-long series under 29, a two strokes difference from the rest of the lot.

She made 4-under, 68 in her final round, which included six birdies and two bogeys in the final 18 holes. Ryu said she was proud to be the second Korean winner in a row.

Ryu was KLPGA Rookie of the Year in 2020 and Korean Women’s Amateur champion in 2018.

Bailey Tardy finished second in the qualifying tournament. Interestingly, she made the decision not to sign up for this year's Q-series. It was her coach who motivated her and asked her not to give up.

“I didn't want to come to Q-School at all. Even at the beginning of the year, I told everyone, I'm not going to Q-School. I'm not doing it. That's not what I want to do. And I'm so happy I did,” quoted Tardy to LPGA.

Colombia’s Valery Plata and Germany’s Aline Krauter were joint third at -25 at Magnolia Grove in Mobile, Alabama. Plata was the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2020 and had won Big Ten’s Mary Fossum Award in 2021. Krauter has played two events on the LPGA Tour.

Japan’s Minami Katsu was the last name in the top 5. She is a 10-time winner in Japan's LPGA.

Lastly, Morocco's Ines Laklalech also created history to become an LPGA member from her country.