2022 John Deere Classic: Top 10 Power Rankings at TPC Deere Run
Nick Hardy is charging hard and approaching the coveted top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings.
His season looked lost in April when he suffered a wrist injury at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. It forced the golf junkie to the sidelines for a month.
The time away seemed to give Hardy the perspective he needed. He came back a new man and has been reaping the rewards.
Hardy finished solo second place last month on the Korn Ferry Tour, losing in a playoff to promising Englishman Harry Hall in a playoff at the NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank.
In his first PGA Tour start since the first week of April. Hardy followed a couple weeks later with T-35th at the RBC Canadian Open.
He sectional qualified into the U.S. Open and got in contention through 54 holes before falling to T-14th.
Hardy kept the momentum going by logging his highest finish of the 2021-22 PGA Tour season, T-8th last week at the Travelers Championship.
The former Illinois Fighting Illini posted three rounds in the 60s at TPC River Highlands.
He feels pretty good about the state of his game.
“I just was in great rhythm,” Hardy was transcribed by ASAP Sports. “That’s kind of been the name of the game for me since I came back. Just being in good rhythm. I think I’m swinging the club well and my mind is in a good spot.”
Not only can he break into the top 125 in the FedEx Cup, but a high finish could qualify the 26-year-old for his first-ever Open Championship.
Hardy is making his third John Deere Classic start. He debuted in 2017 and took T-55th (71-66-69-71) as an amateur. Hardy received another sponsor exemption the next year where he improved to T-43rd (66-73-69-66) in one of his first events as a pro.
The Northbrook, Illinois, native grew up about two and a half hours from Silvis. Not exactly a home game, but Hardy will have some fans in town.
Hardy ranks 18th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained per round off the tee (.524). He’s also 18th in greens in regulation (68.99%) and 22nd in approach proximity from 50-125 yards (17’2”).