OMAHA, Neb. – Fighting Illini men's golf alumnus Nick Hardy is set to take his game to another level in 2021-22.
The 2018 Illinois grad secured his PGA Tour Card for the upcoming season with a top-25 finish on the Korn Ferry Tour's season-long points list, as the tour wrapped up its regular-season schedule this weekend at the Pinnacle Bank Championship.
"Nick has worked so hard to reach this goal, and I could not be more proud to see him take this next step in his career," head coach Mike Small said. "He is an outstanding player and person, and I know that he will represent the University of Illinois well as he continues the tradition of Fighting Illini competing at the highest level of the sport."
Hardy becomes the seventh Illini golfer to play for head coach Mike Small's program before going on to reach full exempt status on either the PGA or European Tours, joining Joe Affrunti (PGA), Brian Campbell (PGA), Thomas Detry (European Tour), Luke Guthrie (PGA), Scott Langley (PGA), and Thomas Pieters (European Tour).
Hardy has been stellar throughout the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour season - which was extended to a two-year schedule due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic – playing in 38 events while making 33 cuts and tallying 19 top-25 finishes and 10 top-10s, including a season-best T3 at The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at Baha Mar in January 2020.
As a professional, Hardy has also made nine-career PGA Tour starts with five made cuts and a top-15 finish earlier this year (T14) at the at the Sony Open in Hawai'i in mid-January.
During his time at Illinois from 2014-18 Hardy established himself as one of the best players in program history, while maintaining a standard of excellence for Fighting Illini men's golf. A native of Northbrook, Ill., he helped lead the Illini to four consecutive Big Ten titles, book-ending the run with B1G Championship 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 collegiate career as a four-time All-Big Ten selection, a four-time NCAA Ping All-Midwest Region honoree, a three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer, and a two-time All-American including a first-team nod in 2018.
As a junior in 2017, Hardy also helped Team USA defeat Team Europe in the Arnold Palmer Cup, and the following year capped his Illini career in 2018 by establishing a then-program record for lowest single-season stroke average (70.61).
The 2021-22 PGA Tour schedule begins Sept. 16-19 with the Fortinet Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa North in Napa, Calif.
