Hardy's Alternate Start in Mexico Secures His PGA Tour Retirement

Nick Hardy may have opened the VidantaWorld Mexico Open with a modest 1-under 70 on Thursday, but he was arguably the biggest winner on the PGA Tour that day. Hardy only gained entry as an alternate when Taylor Moore withdrew before his 8am tee time, taking Moore's spot in a group off the first tee with Ben Martin and Kevin Roy. The start was his 15th Tour appearance of the season — the threshold needed to vest in the Tour's retirement plan. Monday Q Info's Ryan French estimated that, based on Hardy's 67 career cuts and the plan's historical payout structure, the benefit could ultimately be worth roughly $400,000 or more. It was a gamble that nearly did not pay off. The 30-year-old, a one-time PGA Tour winner, entered the week as the third alternate and decided on Tuesday night that flying south of the border was worth the risk. He went to bed early on Wednesday and woke on Thursday morning to a text telling him he had moved to first alternate because neither Luke List nor S.Y. Noh was on site. With just three events left in the fall schedule, Hardy was running out of chances to reach 15 starts. He entered the week ranked 193rd in the FedExCup Fall standings, having made just four cuts in 14 starts. This one start, though, changed his future.