Former PGA Tour competitor and 2017 Illinois athletics Hall of Famer Steve Striker is perhaps the most recognizable golfing face from the Land of Lincoln. You’ll occasionally see him teeing it up on the Champions Tour to this day. But there’s some new blood of talent stemming from Illinois, and we can’t help but pay attention to the evolution.
There’s no denying Thomas Pieters success. He dominates the leaderboards and has won six times on the European circuit. In addition, he also finished close to the medal stand during the 2016 Olympics, finishing in fourth at -4.
That said, while Pieters has been the accomplished Illinois golfer during the previous few years, Nick Hardy is creeping up and looks talented enough to take on the role as Illy’s top man.
Nick Hardy: Making himself known
During his tenure in Champaign, Hardy was touted as the best golfer on the Illinois gold team. Many believed he would be a considerable talent post-Illinois career, and we received a taste of what’s to come during the 2015 US Open as Hardy qualified and tied for 57th at Chambers Bay.
Following his appearance in Illinois, Hardy arrived on the Korn Ferry Tour where he made a name for himself. He successively placed at the top of the leaderboard, and after the 2020/21 season, he placed in the top 25 on the points list. This allowed him to collect his PGA Tour card for the 2021/22 season, but was he ready?
Hardy has undoubtedly proved his worth as a PGA Tour competitor. His first arrival on the big stage saw him tie for 36th at the Fortinet Championship. And this was just the beginning of what would become an excellent season for the 26-year-old.
Nick Hardy: On the PGA Tour
In last season’s PGA Tour, Hardy made the cut in 9 of the 12 events he competed in. He notably finished T8 at the Travelers Championship, T13 at the Barracuda Championship, and an impressive T14 at the coveted U.S. Open. And he’s already evolving his game in the 2022/23 season, having placed T5 at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Hardy finished outside of the top 125 on the FedEx Cup Points last season, but it’s challenging to make a cut on the PGA Tour, and he’s made it look effortless since his arrival. His future is bright, and we should expect to see his name on the leaderboard in the years to come, and I feel 2022/23 could deliver his first PGA Tour success. With one T5 finish throughout four events on the season thus far, Hardy is currently 38th in the FedEx Cup rankings, exceeding the early season performance he delivered the last term.
A betting man would put their money on Hardy in the near future and find Illinois sportsbook promo codes to boost his lucrative odds even higher. Although we only have a small sample size from the new season, his year-to-year statistics are trending upwards, and he’s worth consideration for T5, T10, and T15 placements moving forward.
Hardy’s most recent performance at the Bermuda Championship wasn’t his best, but still, he achieved a T23 performance. Despite entering the tournament losing strokes in three of four major categories, he was the best player on the field in strokes gained.
Nick Hardy: Best 2022-23 Results
Sanderson Farms Championship – T5
Butterfield Bermuda Championship – T23
Shriners Children’s Open – T44
FedExCup Ranking: 38
Official Money: $377,214
Top 10 Finishes: 1
Nick Hardy: Best 2022-23 Statistics (As of Nov.1, 2022)
SG: Approach the green – 1.161 – 8th ranked stat on the PGA Tour
SG: Tee-to-green – 1.030 – 33rd ranked stat on the PGA Tour
SG: Total – .641 – 69th ranked stat on the PGA Tour
Greens in regulation percentage – 73.61% – 27th ranked stat on the PGA Tour
Scoring average – 70.702 – 80th ranked stat on the PGA Tour
Driving distance – 306.5 – 81st ranked stat on the PGA Tour
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