Golf Narrows West

To get back to the top women’s tour in the world after more than a year’s absence would take something all too familiar Sunday.

A fight.

Cano, teeing off early into the teeth of 30 mph gusts, was playing the 11th round of an arduous qualifying journey that began with sectional events in September. Even before that, however, injuries, inconsistency and economics had combined to knock her professional career on the ropes.

But over four hours Sunday, dealing with swirling winds and emotions, the San Antonio player took care of business in posting a 2-over 74 to tie for 29th out of 139 players. The top-30 finish, while not good enough for a full-time exemption, earned Cano status for at least 10 LPGA events next season.

“I can breathe now,” she said by phone shortly after completing the fifth round at LPGA International. “I was really happy out there today.”

The reasons for it outnumber the clubs in Cano’s bag. She has competed in recent years with limited resources, working at Pecan Valley and other sites to mold more than just her game. She needed the paychecks.

The former Edison High School standout was one of the LPGA Tour’s remarkable stories in 2006 when she emerged out of a Q-School playoff to secure a full-time exemption. However, a hand injury undercut her rookie season, forcing her to apply for a medical exemption to play the following year.

Erratic play, spurred in part by traveling each week on the cheap, hiring local caddies along the way, teamed to strip her of her card at the end of 2007.

She played a scattering of Duramed Futures Tour events this year before stepping away last summer to rehab her game, earn some money and focus on qualifying school. After Cano missed the cut at the first stage in California in September, she immediately headed cross-country to Venice, Fla., to move on from the inaugural stage there less than a week later.

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