UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. – There are several big names who owe Nick Hardy a thank you.
Hardy, a 19-year-old amateur who just completed his freshman year at Illinois, played in the day’s final grouping at the U.S. Open and bogeyed the par-3 ninth, his final hole of the day.
As a result, the cut line moved from 4 over to 5 over, allowing an additional 15 players to tee it up this weekend at Chambers Bay.
Among the beneficiaries of Hardy’s late miscue: Webb Simpson, Jimmy Walker, Ian Poulter, Angel Cabrera, Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie, all of whom made the cut on the number.