Note: This is the second in a series of Q&As with some of Illini men's golf's most accomplished alumni who have gone on to compete at the highest levels of the sport. Stay tuned to FightingIllini.com for future installments in the series. Previous Pro Illini Q&As are available here: Scott Langley.

The Hardy File:

From 2015-18 Nick Hardy maintained a standard of excellence for Illinois men's golf. A product of Northbrook, Illinois, he helped lead the Illini to four consecutive Big Ten Titles, book-ending the run with medalist honors as a freshman in 2015 and a senior in 2018. Hardy also captured top honors as co-medalist at the 2017 NCAA West Lafayette Regional.  

The 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and 2018 Big Ten Player of the Year concluded his career as a four-time All-Big Ten honoree, a four-time NCAA Ping All-Midwest Region selection, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer, and a two-time All-American. 

As a junior in 2017, he helped Team USA defeat Team Europe in the Arnold Palmer Cup, and the following year capped his career in 2018 by establishing an Illinois program record for lowest single-season stroke average (70.61).

Hardy recently took time out to reflect on his time at Illinois, and how the Illini golf program helped to prepare him for his professional career..

Q&A:

Why did you choose to come to the University of Illinois?
I chose the University of Illinois for a few reasons. It only took me one visit to realize how impressive of a program Coach Small had been building. I immediately realized how deeply Coach cared about his current and former players. I saw how impressive the indoor facility was and I also saw what the outdoor facility was about to become. Illinois was my state school and it's also a top-notch education nationally. I also bonded with many of the current players at the time and what separated Illinois the most was the bond among the players themselves, and also the respect between the players and coaches.

What is your fondest memory from your time at Illinois?
My best memories are definitely the winning part. Having left with four Big Ten Championships is very special to me. But also, the many laughs and fun times along the way.

How do you feel the Illinois golf program prepared you for life after college both on and off the golf course?
I learned so many great things during my four years, the biggest being taking accountability and responsibility into everything I do. From the structure of practice, school, workouts, and travel, I learned how to manage my time, be organized, and pay attention to the little details in both school and golf. What really enhanced my experience was how well I was pushed to be great by my coaches and everyone affiliated with the golf team. We have such amazing support at Illinois. It's an environment where everyone pushes each other to be better in any aspect of life.

What is one piece of advice you would give a current team member?
Have extremely high standards of yourself, but zero expectations.

What advice would you give a junior golfer who wants to play in college?
I think the biggest thing is to surround yourself with people that you trust and will push you in the right directions. Make decisions for yourself and make sure the decisions you make are yours, not your parents, or coaches, or sisters, or brothers.

What would you say to someone who says "the weather" is too harsh in winter to improve at Illinois?
I would say that I think Coach Small has basically debunked that myth for all of college golf. I actually think there are advantages for a college golfer to have a winter. We practice and play in it, which makes us tougher; it provides us a bit of a break (during our first semester finals especially). We are lucky enough to always travel out of it, and it's a good time to re-group and work on some things in your game that may not be easy to mid-playing season.

How would you describe Head Coach Mike Small in one sentence?
Coach Small is the hardest working, most respected, best leader, and most fun college athletic coach in the country.

How big of a factor was Coach Small in your decision to attend Illinois?
Coach Small was a huge factor in my decision to play at Illinois.

Can you talk about the transition from college golf to professional golf?
The transition wasn't all too crazy for me coming out of Illinois. I felt like I was prepared extremely well. There are obvious differences between the two, but besides that, I felt like I was ready to compete at that level out of the gate because of our program at Illinois.

What do you need to do to take your game to the next level?
I think I just need to stay on the same path. During my time at Illinois I learned how to manage, practice, and evaluate my game very well. So far, I've stayed on a steady incline in my career and I believe I just need to stay focused and keep working hard to get to that next step.

How similar is your practice now compared to the way you practiced when you were here at Illinois?
I've tried to keep doing pretty much all the things in practice that we did at Illinois. One thing that I miss most from Illinois was having my teammates to compete against every day. As a pro, I try to practice with former Illinois players and just fellow pros in order to re-create that competitive environment that we have at Illinois.

What are your greatest strengths?
Focus, determination, work ethic, and mindset. I think my mental game is what keeps me consistent as a golfer. That's what we pride ourselves on at Illinois.

What are your goals for 2020?
My goals are to win a Korn Ferry event and earn my PGA Tour card this fall!.