Prior to that query, Brady, then a sophomore on the women’s golf team at Vanderbilt University, never gave it much thought. She was barely two years removed from Green Hope High School. But it was an idea she entertained and, during the next two years, increasingly turned her focus toward.

After graduating in May with degrees in economics and civil engineering, Brady moved to Sarasota, Fla., and gave golf her undivided attention.

On Dec. 2, golf gave back.

Brady earned conditional status on the LPGA Tour for 2008 after shooting a five-round total of 365 at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla.

“I played a great week of golf, minus one round,” said Brady, who was an All-American her junior year at Vandy and won four tournaments during her collegiate career. “I’m living the dream right now.”

Brady was one of 137 golfers at Q School Nov. 28-Dec. 2 vying for LPGA status. The top 17 players from the 90-hole tournament received full exemptions for 2008, meaning they have a spot in any LPGA event they choose to enter next year. The next 35 players plus ties earned conditional status. Those players are allowed to enter Monday qualifiers for every LPGA tournament or can bypass the qualifiers and receive a spot when the field is not full.

Brady earned the latter by the narrowest of margins.

She made it to the final stage on the number after shooting 6-over 294 in a four-round sectional tournament at Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice, Fla.,

At final stage, she made the cut when the field was trimmed to 70 plus ties after the fourth round, on the number, which was 6-over.

And her five-day final-stage score of 5-over 365 left her tied with seven others on the number for conditional status.

If any one shot had gone a fraction of an inch the other way, then Brady wouldn’t be sitting down trying to figure out what LPGA events she’d like to try and get into, or if she’ll play more dates on the Futures Tour next year.

If any one shot went another way, she would have had to wait another year before getting the chance to try again.

“There were so many shots I left out there,” Brady said. “Barely making it, it almost makes you thankful for all the shots you did hit.”

Through three rounds, Brady was in great shape. After an opening-round 3-over 75 on the Legends Course at LPGA International, she shot back-to-back rounds of 2-under 70 and 4-under 68 on the Champions Course, which left her tied for 13th after 54 holes.

“For the first time all week, I went and looked at the leaderboard and realized at the time, I was in the money,” Brady said. “It’s tough being the one going to sleep knowing you’re going to be chased. The last two days I had been chasing the leaders, and now it was a little different. My mistake was I thought about it as a different scenario, instead of continuing doing what I was doing.”

Back on the Legends Course for the fourth round, Brady had a disastrous day. She missed a five-foot birdie putt on her second hole, a miss she said stuck in her head for the rest of the round and led to her finishing with an 81.

After being in contention for a full exemption at the start of the day, she was in danger of leaving Daytona Beach completely empty-handed. Heading into the final round, she was four strokes behind a group of seven who were tied for the final conditional exemption.

Left to wonder what went wrong, Brady had less than 24 hours to regroup before she would be back out on the Legends Course trying to right the previous day’s wrong and trying to prevent her professional career from taking a one-year hiatus.

“I just wanted to show this course that I can beat up on it a little bit,” Brady said. “I’m tired of it taking my money. So I went out there and played my game. I missed a few birdie putts early on, but I remember how I reacted to it [in the fourth round] and how it affected the rest of my round. I made the decision to let it go. I stayed patient and made a couple birdies coming in. I never gave up. I knew it was going to be close the whole way around.”

Brady shot a final-round 1-under 71, the first time she’d ever broken par on the Legends Course. Because she was in the final group, she didn’t have to wait very long to learn her fate. She sent her caddie over to the leaderboard to compare scores that were already posted.

“I didn’t want to be over there,” she said. “I sent him over to do the counting, and he came over and said, ‘I think you got one.’ I didn’t believe him.”

But it was true, and Brady could finally exhale. Q School is one of the most grueling events in all of sports. It’s all or nothing, and the emotional toll is monumental.

“Final stage, it was a little bit more nerve-wracking because you’re not just trying to make it to the next stage. This is the end of the road. It was one of the most stressful times in my life,” Brady said. “There’s nothing that can prepare you for it.”

The goal this year was to get a tour card.

The goal for next year and for many to follow is to not have to go back to Q School.

Brady didn’t play her best golf there, but she did well enough. To her, that’s a sign that everything should continue to come together.

“That’s kind of reassuring,” she said. “I feel like I belong out there. Once I start playing my best, I’ll be able to compete with the best players in world.”