Welcome back for another Friday Egg podcast. This time I'm joined by two stars of the Illinois golf team, Nick Hardy and Dylan Meyer. Both Nick and Dylan are juniors and among the top amateur players in the world. The first half of the podcast we speak with Nick and the second half we speak with Dylan. As always, please subscribe to the podcast and iTunes and leave us a review.
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I'm about ready to run off the golf course. We are back for another podcast, and today we welcome a couple of college golf stars from the University of Illinois. Up first, we have junior Nick Hardy, who has qualified for the last two US Opens, was recently named to the Palmer Cup team, and was the runaway Illinois State am champ. Nick, how are you doing today? Yeah, of course, I'm hanging in there. It's a good weekend with March
madness and got the API on in the background. You've been watching any of the golf this season.
Yeah, I've watched pretty much as much as I can. As much I can. I love to watch, you know, the tournaments every weekend. Starting to see a lot of names that I've played with too, so it's it's really cool to see and yeah, I love watching the golf.
Yeah, I imagine you probably have play with a lot of the guys, especially now. I mean you you qualified for a lot of USGA events young, so you know a lot of those guys that are twenty five were probably some of the guys that you looked up to.
Huh, Yeah, no doubt. I mean I seeing like guys like John Rahm and Bryce and Djebo having success right now, so so early. And then like you know, obviously my teammates Brian Campbell, Charlie Danielson and Thomas Teacher either having success. So it's really cool and fun to follow them for sure.
Yeah, it's cool. I'm in Illinois grad and it's cool to see all the Illinois guys out there. You got like you know, Langley and Guthrie two that are a little bit older, and then obviously you know kind of Stricker and Thomas Peters. Yeah, he's he's been on fire. So I'd love to give the listeners a little bit a bit of background on you. So how did you How did you get into golf?
I mean, I've gotten in the game ever since I was started walking. My dad got me into it, I don't know, I followed him in the backyard with plastic clubs, and ever since then, I was just falling in love with the game. And it's been that way ever since. I grew up, playing at a Part three course in north Brook, Cold anas Berger pretty much every day and Sportsman's too, and so yeah, I've loved the game ever since. I had a passion for it and I just love love practicing it.
Yeah. So how did you get to pick Illinois? You know what other schools were you looking at? And what what got you there to Illinois?
Yeah? So I visited Illinois twice before I committed. The first time I really loved it. The second time, I just I couldn't, you know, get enough of it. I loved it so much that, you know, I committed right away and I couldn't really see myself going anywhere else. I looked at a lot of Big ten and I just started to look at a lot of schools in the South. But I knew right away after I was Illinois the second time, I was like, I was dead set on it, and there's no way I was going
anywhere else. So yeah, I looked at a lot of other Big ten schools and a lot of a lot of schools in the South that I planned on visiting, but I just knew so quickly where I wanted to go that it didn't even matter. But yeah, I'm you know, that's the best decision I've ever made.
Yeah, it's it's quite the program. It's it's amazing what coach Small has been able to do with the Northern School kind of becoming the first you know, year in perennial national championship contender as a Northern School. Tell us a little bit about what a day in the life is as an Illinois golfer.
Yeah, so, I mean, you know, weekly we have workouts either two or three times a week at six in the morning. Like this week we had Monday, Wednesday Friday, so left in the morning and then I you know, normally have classes in the morning. This semester is a little weird with my schedule. I I don't have a class Monday, Wednesday and Friday technically, and I have a lot of class Tuesday Thursday, and I have a couple
of online classes, so I have a great schedule. I practice pretty much all day Monday, Wednesday, Friday, which is nice but and it's and it definitely helps for for when I travel to because when I we miss a lot of Monday and Friday, so that's helpful. But I mean, yeah, like normally you have class in the morning, and then I'll head to the practicability after I eat a quick lunch, if I can even have time for lunch, and then
uh practice at two. Pretty much every day. Coach normally has a practice as a team, and usually he's either like, Okay, you guys can do stuff on your own and I'll check in with you individually, or we're doing team stuff like competitions, drills, anything that coach them get it better. But after that it's I don't know, I'm here. I'll after I'm in conversion all afternoon pretty much and then
dinner and whatever I gotta study that night. So it's pretty much just the same routine every day, which I love. I'm just like, I'm a person who loves to be in a routine and and and doing the same things. I think that's the way it worked best. So I love when I get back to that routine, you know every day.
So with uh, with practice do you do you work on you know kind of like the same drills every day? And like what what how would you say you break up your your practice time between putting short game, iron play, driving.
Well, I always I'm a you know, I've turned into a guy that like, I really like to look at my stats from the last tournament to know like where I'm at with my game. How you know, I really like evaluating myself and from tournament to tournament, and so based off that, I'll basically based on practice off that and use coach as a guidance school and obviously he's always there to help, but I I kind of just you know, feel it out. I there's so many aspects
of the game you can work on. And that's the thing that's why I practice like so much, because I love it one and two because there's just so many different things you can do in practice, in your in your practice, and I just break it up and and and see where I'm at, just evaluate my whole game, and if one part of my game is I feel like it's my weakness. I'll attack that that week and then you know, make sure the others are are still
you know, in a good form. But I like to play a lot too, so whenever I can play it, like this winter, I've never played so much in one winter. I mean it was it was I was outside every day down here kind of the same. But we got a lot of days where we can play too. So I'm a big player, but I'm also I love to practice the game too.
Sounds like you're just a golf knot, which is which is a good thing.
Yeah, that whole life you guys.
So do you guys keep strokes gain stats or how what what type of stats do you guys have? And I know it's a little bit tougher to do without shot.
Link, but yeah, well we use we use the golf stat websites the way they do the stats, and so basically, I mean we don't do strokes gain, but there's like there's like there's like way there's a I mean every other stat basically you could think of to evalue what you're putting, you know, up and downs, driving accuracy, anything. We we we're pretty we're pretty in depth too. It's not like like the general stuff. It gets pretty in depth.
But that's that's I evaluate myself based off of that and just an overall feel for my mind on the course and stuff. But that's definitely a huge key to getting better and improving. So, I mean, I love, I love looking at my stats and preparing myself, you know, my junior year to my freshman year and see where I'm at compared to there, and like, you know, see how I've changed as a golfer. But yeah, the big
thing is just learning how to evaluate yourself. I think that was definitely a huge key coming here too, and then using coach mall for that. But yeah, I just our stats are pretty in depth, which helps.
Where you know, where would you say over the time there you've improved the most looking at your stats, I don't.
Honestly, I think I've improved the most outside of my sets. I think I've improved the most the way I handle myself on the course, my overall body language, my attitude, my mind. I think I've just you know, I've learned a lot based off of coach for that purposes. I mean, yeah, you can look at your stats and be like Okay, that's my punting is a lot better now than it was freshman year or blah blah blah anything. But the
biggest key in golf is your mind. And I feel like the way I think is so much better than it was when I came into the freshman and that's all due credit to Coach Small pretty much, and probably just maturing a lot too.
Yeah, I mean, I think the way you think only gets better and better. Like you know, I feel like I get better at golf every year because I'm a little bit smarter and I play play a little bit less because that's the that's the toughest part of the game. So you've qualified for two straight US Opens, and you made the cut at Chambers Bay in twenty fifteen and shot a final round sixty eight, and then you got
to play Oaklant this year. Tell us a little bit about the experiences of each and what you took away from it.
Yeah, there was, I mean obviously Chambers was getting there was It's just an out of body experience, like arriving to the range the first day and the first day I was there, I was on a putty green alone with Tiger. That was just crazy and I met Jack Nicholas that same day, So I met Tiger and Nick Jack in the same day, which was incredible. And then that whole week leading up to it, like the four days I was there before the tournament felt like forever.
I mean, it felt like I was already there forever. And then the first round came, and I mean, honestly, my coach, Brett Packy was with me, and I was My game was in such good form. I just I was, I was playing, I was hitting the ball great, and I just you know, I had confidence and pretty much everything in my game was great except my putting, and I put it really really poorly there, and I think I lost all my strokes of Jordan' Speed, the winner
that week because of my putting. I mean it was it was pretty brutal, but I took away a lot. After that week, I felt like I felt like, I could, you know, belong there someday potentially. I mean, I just I felt like, you know, that gave me a lot of confidence. And and then Oakmont last year was a
totally different venue and course for US Open. I mean, Chambers was amazing and like the way you had to be creative around the course, and you know, there's so many ways to get the ball close to the hole. And then Oakmont was just like, Okay, you better hit in the fair way and then you better just hope you hit in the right spot on the green or else you know, you're looking at a three put. So, I mean it was it was really cool because both
US Opens were completely different. But I felt like, you know, my my game at Oakmont was not in great form, and I wish, you know, to look back and say, I wish I did some things differently, But hopefully I'll be a many more US Opens so in the future. So I can, you know, prepare differently.
Yeah, yeah, it's so. Then because he qualified, you get through to Section all of this year.
Yeah, I'm in Section this year.
Do you did you get out at the same course both years?
Yeah?
Mm hmm. So that's that's your Is it the Springsfield site? Right?
Yeah? And you know I'm trying to go back there this year too.
Yeah, that's that's cool. So who was you know, who did you get to, you know, play practice rounds with anybody that you really looked up to growing up while you're out at either of them?
Yeah, the first one I played with Zach Johnson. He's just an unreal guy. Uh. That was the first practice one I played with him, and it was it was incredible because he had so much knowledge, obviously, and he helped me a lot. And then I played with Brooks Kopka. He just he destroyed the ball. It's hilarious. But he's he's a really cool guy too. He's nice. He was really nice to me. But I played with I played with Brian Campbell and everyone too, because he was at
the US Opening with me that year. He was a litlamb. And then this past one I played with Charlie and everyone because he qualified too. And then I played with h let's see, Martin Kimer, Brocki, carreer Bo. Those guys didn't know much about college golf, so basically I had to teach him because they, you know, they didn't come over to the States to play college golf. But it was funny like talking to them. They were cool guys too,
they were really nice. Tried to set up another practice on Zach and Jimmie Walker, but that didn't work out. And then I played with Jason Kokrak. He was a great guy too. He hits it really good.
Ye, that's that's awesome. I mean unbelievable experience, I imagine, and especially playing with those guys, making the cut had to give you just all types of confidence. So I wanted to talk a little bit about the team and how you know, kind of last year you were one of the younger guys on the team and now you're one of the leaders. Tell us about your the young players on the team, you know, Brian Baumgardner, Giovanni I'll probably batch this, Tatsi out and and Michael Fiegels.
Yeah, it's obviously it was a quick transition being one of the younger guys. I mean, I had it so easy with the older guys here, Brian Campbell, Alex Burge, Comments and Charlie. Obviously I had so easy because those guys are such great leaders, and I just looked up to them all the time and just basically followed their steps all the time and practice, and you know, they
taught me a lot too. But it was quick. It was like, Wow, I come to campus this time, and I'm like I'm the oldest guy here with Dylan, and we're a really young team and and there's half our team as freshmen. So I was like, wow, that was a quick jump, but I was excited for it, and I knew under the leadership of coach Smaller, I mean, and Barlow there, I mean, we're gonna be, you know,
in good hands. But it's definitely important for me to, you know, take what I learned from the older guys and try to help these freshmen out and be like, be there, Charlie Danielson or something like that. But you know, it's it's it's definitely a new way for me. But it's been fun and I feel like these freshmen are are kind of similar to the way I was in
just a lot of ways. And I've already seen all of them grow up so much and just make so many strides since the first day they came here, which is so cool to see because I was probably the same way, but I didn't see it. So but they're getting better and hopefully their games start to really trend upwards, and I know they will towards the end of the spring here.
What do you think the toughest adjustment going from high school golf and junior golf to college golf.
Honestly, I think it's the courses we play. The courses we play in college are so much different. It's so much harder than what we played in high school. And obviously you've got to learn the game because when you're in high school, you're playing to all these pins in the middle of the green, soft greens, short courses you
can basically find at every pin. So when you're in college, you're playing firm greens, pins tucked on the sides of the greens and corners and on ledges and like, and you like, as a freshman, you don't really like you technically understand the concepts, but you don't really like apply them when you play the game. So that's kind of the big thing about what coach that helps you out with mean, he makes you go through the practice. The practice rounds are so important to him and to the
whole team here. I mean, we go through a practice rounde and make sure we get everything right, like, I mean the littlest details too, just where north is, where these pins will be, you know, where you want to hit it obviously, where you don't want to hit it strong. And then we work on this a lot and practices and strong setting the ball and not hitting the short sides. I mean, we practice that all the time, so it tends to come natural to you now, I mean after
you're a freshman. But that's the big thing about Coach Small and helping you out your freshman year learning how to play the game.
Yeah, I think that's said so much of a misconception, and something you learn with experience is that, like you know, when you're two hundred yards out, thirty feet is like a really good shot. You don't have to go at
that flag. And I imagine that's that's something you know with how much how good of potters you guys are, that's something you know, thirty feet you can make one of those every once in a while, and then you know, wait till you get into a spot where you can really attack the flag, right.
I mean, we we've had the you know, in the past couple of years, we've had the opportunity to down with some of the game's greatest minds like bob raa Tella, and he says, like, any anytime you have an eight iron or less, you should be looking at the pin or inside ten feet, And anytime you have seven iron or more, he should be, you know, thinking more more conservatively, taking your medicine. So when you have the opportunities where you have wedges in that's where you take advantage of.
But when you like you said, when you have two hundred yards and I mean it's okay to hit the middle of greens and tupat so obviously like and in practice we practice our lag. Putting a bunch I mean three put a boyants is huge in college golfs, tame with penalty shots and and all that too. So really, I mean which Coach Small really helps us out with is just learning the game and saving shots that other teams will make mistakes on because they're just being you know,
either you know, careless or or just not thinking. So that's really where coach kind of really helps you out as a freshmen and learning the game and and where to where to be aggressive and where to just picking your spots.
Really yeah, it's uh, it's patience is a is a virtue and a lot of aspects of life. So as you know, you you touched on this and just the golf course change. But as an amateur and college player, you guys get to play some incredible golf courses. What uh what are what have been some of your favorite courses that you've got to see in your life and at tournaments.
Yeah, we do play an incredible places and we're so lucky for that obviously. But my favorites are definitely Southern Highlands where we just were in Lats of I guess that's that place is unbelievable. And then Olympia Fields. I love going there. That's obviously a great course. And then going back all the way though, you know my junior days. I love the two US Junior courses I played at Martis Camp was was unbelievable out in the trucky California.
And then I mean, really we we get to play at all, I mean incredible us M courses, But yeah, that those are the ones that stick out to me that were really cool.
Yeah, those U s GA events are different type of experience than than your regular event. It's uh, it makes you never want to miss one once you get into one, exactly. So a big one that you're you're being considered for is the Walker Cup. And you got to go out to l A c C a couple of months ago and uh and and be a part of the practice sessions.
What uh what did you kind of take away from those practice sessions and tell us a little bit about like the vibe and and and what you guys were doing out there.
Yeah, the practice session was really, I mean pretty much the most fun I've ever had in that golf course. We uh, just sixteen guys. We just played a bunch of golf and it was competitive and it was fun. Lacc is unbelievable. It's a rich When I got there, I couldn't believe. You know, we didn't get much role out there, but it was. It was really long. It's a really long course. And they're gonna have us open there soon or obviously the Walker Cup coming up at
the US opened. I think it's in twenty twenty one, and that's gonna be really cool. But yeah, we just we played a lot of matches and kept it competitive and fun though. So that was really cool. And yeah, hopefully to be a part of that team will be unbelievable.
If if you say you make the team, uh, what what guy would you most want to be partnered up with for uh? For matches?
How could I not say Dylan?
It leads into a good Twitter question we got from Brett from the I J G. A is he wants to know if you guys, if you could compare yourselves to any w w E tag team. Who would it be?
Honestly, I don't know, but Dylan Dan called me a hulk because I don't know I'm bigger, and I don't know what you called Dylan, but I'm sure Dylan will be Gon answer that one.
I'll save it for Dylan. And then one of the potential teammate on that Walker Cup team, Stuart Hagastad the Vedam Chant, wants to know which would you rather wear for every round? A floral sun but bonnet and white sunglasses or sacks.
I'm gonna go with the gronics for sure.
You know he thought you were gonna go with the bonnet.
I think I think Sue is more of the bonding guy. Honestly, he's a he's a Southern California kid.
Yeah, he's He's an interesting character.
Huh yeah. I first met to at the Walker Cup practice. He He's unbelievable. I love him so much. He's a such a great guy.
What what do you think? What do you think his chances are at the at the Masters?
I love his chance. He's a great player, you know, I think uh, I think he I think it's you know, obviously he's there to compete hopefully to win, but I think he definitely has a good time to make in the cut, and that would be really cool.
Yeah, you know, I was looking at some odds the other day and like they've got him like paired up the same as like you know these like old champions and it's like this kid's twenty five and he played at USC like you know, he.
Hit to really trade off the team. That's the key to Gusta too. So I mean, you know, if he you know, he's in a good form, I could. I could totally as he's a gamer. You saw it with the last six holes on the mid m that was really cool.
Yeah, yeah, that was those those six holes were so hard and he made all those birdies. I mean that was insane.
Yeah, I mean.
Like those were like some of the hardest holes I've ever played. And so if you could pick one core or so you had to play one of the two courses for the rest of your life Orange or blue and quitting is not an option, which would be and this is from a former an.
I would play Orange. I mean Orange is I think a little bit better, but I would definitely not quit.
It. Neither is a great option, but golf is better than no golf.
Right, yeah, exactly.
So then I j g A. Matt wanted to know if there be any animosity with your future team teammate Brendan O'Reilly because he beat you when he was thirteen.
Oh, none at all. I mean I hope we have more matches like that, because if we do, then our team is in good shape. I think.
Yeah, it's uh. He seems he likes to post pictures of his his swing on Instagram. He seems like he's a great player.
I mean, yeah, I don't know if there's anyone who loves the game more than him. So that's what it is, a good thing.
Yeah, so curious if you could take one aspect of a former ALIGNI players game, you know, whether it be like Stricker's wedge game or Peters is driving, what would you what would you want to take from another player?
Honestly, there'd be so many, so many, I mean I think about it. I mean, all these players that come through, I mean there's one thing that comes to mind. It's it's their minds, and that's their their short games. I mean, Coach Small, Stricker and all the guys you know above me, there their short games are incredible. But one thing I will say is Brian Campbell's mind was incredible, you know, like I think Charlie and I talked about it a lot.
I mean, Brian just always had that that incredible mindset. And Coach Mall says a lot like you've got to pretend every day is a qualifier and you're just it's do or die every day. And that's exactly what Brian was like, Like, I mean, it didn't matter what round it was, that he could go out there and shoot a scrappy sixty three any day. It was incredible Brian.
Brian had an incredible mindset. I love his mindset. But I mean when you look at everyone's short games, like Coach Even, I mean Coach Small, he's a great short game. But Petre Danielson, Campbell, Peters, got three, everyone, every one of them had a great short game obviously stricer. So that's something I look at too for sure that I want to emulate.
Yeah. Yeah, it's a mind and short game go go very far. So we were short on time here and I'm going to get you out of here on a couple quick overrated, underrated, underrated questions. So just you know whether you think it's overrated underrated? One answer you know quick, So Papa Dell's pizza.
Overrated, I'm a I'm a Papa John's guy, Papa.
John's Either way, Papa is in the house.
Huh yeah, yeah exactly.
Phil Mickelson underrated, underrated, So you think he's one of the best ten players of.
All time for sure? Guaranteed.
All Right, White Belts.
Way overrated, that's.
The answer I like to hear. All right, single shaft irons.
Honestly, I don't know. I don't know for that one. I've never tried it, so I can't really say anything.
Okay, I think it makes sense if somebody starting, but I couldn't imagine like switching to it in the middle.
Of I couldn't imagine that either. But if I tried it, I would I would have an opinion for sure.
Yeah. Well, hey, Nick, thanks so much for your time and best of luck with the spring season, and we'll we'll see you up ed hopefully at rich Harvest Farms.
For sure. Sounds good. Thank you for having me on Andy, We'll talk to you all right, all.
Right, all right, now we welcome Dylan Meyron, the reigning Western am Champ, another one of Illinois's star players, and uh made a long quarterfinal run at the US AM.
How you doing, Dylan good yourself?
Hey, you know, I'm I'm hanging in there. It's it's Friday. N c A tournaments on, you know, Uh, life is good.
So I agree.
I agree there NCAA tournament's always a good time.
Who you uh? With Illinois not in it? Who are you rooting for?
Uh? You know, I'm not really rooting for anyone.
I'm kind of just enjoying the all the high seeds beating the good, the good team. So it's kind of where I'm following mostly.
Yeah, it's sometimes when you don't have a horse in the race, it's actually more fun because you just can root for all utter chaos.
Right, That's exactly right.
So I'd love to hear a little bit about your background. Give the listeners an idea of who you are and how you got into golf.
So I'm from Evansville, Indiana.
I tried to throw on the border at Kentucky, southwest part of the state, and.
I grew up.
My family is a bunch of farmers.
All my uncles are my great uncles. But I didn't grow up being on the farm or anything like that, but I grew up definitely that.
Kind of atmosphere and that kind of background.
I went to a high school where golf really wasn't a priority as in Indiana.
Basketball was always the priority.
So we were kind of that second class sport, didn't really have much recognition.
But you know, you get up closer.
And you started playing in tournaments closer to Indianapolis where golf actually mattered.
That's when I started getting.
Noticed by by schools and things like that, which led me here to Coach Small. There's a couple of alumni from back at home that one one played here.
His name is Keith Bratton.
He got in touch with.
Coach Small, let him know about me, and then things kind of went off from there.
How I started to.
Play golf was with my grandpa. He had a group of guys, or my grandpa and my father. They had a group of guys that played on every Thursday night at a local golf course. And I'd always tag along ever since I was a little kid, about five years old, and I just kept going with them, and I just developed a love for the game and just carried.
Me to where I am.
Now, that's great. So did you still tee it up with the with the old golf group every once in a while.
Uh, you know, I don't.
They don't really play all that much anymore, but they do sit around and casually go to the nineteenth Tee Nineteenth Green, you know, a nice little bar area, always kind of hooping and.
Hollering around about whatever's going on.
So I kind of go up there and see them a little bit every now and again with my grandpa because I know he likes that, and I know those guys like seeing me as well. So I definitely get around him some, but just don't really play much golf with him anymore.
Yeah. Yeah, Yeah, you're kind of busy too. You got got a lot of tournaments you're playing in. So how do you, you know, narrow down and pick Illinois? What was kind of like the deciding factor?
You know, it really came down to coach Small and what he does to produce pros. Really, it's what I wanted to do. It's kind of the path I wanted to follow my dreams. I mean, yeah, Indiana, they had Jeff Overton who was from Evansville. I mean that was kind of they wanted me to follow him, that's in those steps. But you know, I wanted to create my own path, and so I came here and I wanted
to be something different. I didn't want to go into a culture where I thought that I would be the top dog or that I would be looked upon differently. I wanted to come somewhere where I had to start from the bottom and work my way to the top, which I'm still not to that top point yet.
So it's still a work in progress.
Because coach just makes you not only a better golfer, what a better person individually.
Yeah, yeah, I mean you you had a huge kind of coming out this past year where you went from kind of a you know, people were wondering if you know, the bottom of Illinois's roster would hold up, and especially you know, I remember watching that match against Oregon with with Aaron Wise, and you know, the announcers didn't know much about you, but you know, you kept making putts and you ended up taking down kind of the college's
top dog at the time. How much did that match help give you confidence going into the summer.
You know, it gave me a lot of confidence to show that I can play at the top level and compete with the best guys in the country, and I'm going to step up to the t box thinking I can live a tournament, rather than thinking I'm going to get in top ten and just kind of sneak my leg in there and just have my name float around, you know, I'd get in there, and I'd battle on and compete and.
Just kept leading me.
To play in better and better over the summer, and just had a different edge about it, you know. And that's kind of the one thing I've kind of lacked the spring thus far, is this little edge, and you know, and now I'm kind of getting back into it and starting to get that fire into my stomach again. Where and you get on that high horse and I need to just keep riding it.
How how much different is the kind of atmosphere of of that NCAA tournament match play setting compared to like your your you know, amateur tournaments and kind of the individuals. How much how much different is it is?
It?
Is it ratchet up pressure?
I wouldn't say it was a lot of pressure. I feel like there's more weight to it. Especially you're playing for the university, so you're playing for something bigger than yourself, which is always something great to do. I mean, you're on national tell vision, representing a university and playing against the best guys in the country, So I mean it's kind of like our March madness where anything can happen.
The best shots typically get hit during these times, you know, and just nerve, I mean just positive nerves come out and you just feel really really appreciative and really great about the opportunity that you get to play in that kind of situation.
So, you know, in today's era of like you know, Bombers, the Bombing Gouge, you're kind of a throwback guy who you know is steady, hits it, you know, straight, a little bit shorter, and you've had a ton of match play success. Do you think it's you have a huge advantage because a lot of times you're playing behind guys and you're hitting first into greens.
Oh yeah, that's definitely an advantage of mine that I have, because I mean, I can I'm confident with any kind of club I have from the fairway, whether it be a nine iron or.
A three hybrid two hybrid, I'm gonna feel like I'm.
Gonna put it within ten fifteen feet every time. So I mean usually whenever I get on the streak and I get on a roll with my ball striking, that's typically what happens, and then I'm able to make some putts. And I mean, it's just one of those things. It's just it's a pressure throughout the entire day. I mean, you can do it for three four holes in a row, but you do it for twelve, thirteen, fourteen holes in a row, it starts really wearing down on your opponent mentally as the day goes on.
Do you do you approach how do you approach match play compared to stroke? Do you have a little bit different mindset?
Not really, I mean there's I mean there's some things that are different in strategy. You kind of see you after what the other players doing. But you know where I'm finding most of my successes is if I just play my game one shot at a time, Because I know, if I'm gonna hit it down the center of the fairway and I'm gonna hit it into the green, either make my putt or two butt and I'm gonna get moving on.
So if I if I.
Just keep playing consistent golf for eighteen holes, it's gonna really wear down an opponent and then if they can beat me by shooting a sixty five sixty six, then you know they deserve to win.
But I'm gonna make them win.
That's the that's really the goal of playing at match play.
Yeah, yeah, that's in all of golf. Is one shed at a time is always a good way to approach it. So, you know, with the Western Am, you have this great run, you end up, you know, running through and you make it into match play and then you win, You take out take down Sam Horsfeld, who is playing incredible golf that week. But you know, one of the things that most people don't think about with the Western Am is
like how much golf you have to play? Like how exhausted were you at the end of the week after playing like three or four straight days of thirty six holes?
You know, honestly I was. After that event, I was. I was still in turn that mode because I had to go straight to the Usam and my body and my mind were still thinking compete, compete, compete during that entire time.
I mean for the three or.
Four days I had in between to go home and travel back up to.
Michigan for the USAM.
It really hit me the exhausting point in time, because, I mean, even playing in the USAM, I was still a bunch of days in a row if I had to play golf. So there was a there was about a I would say, a fourteen day period where my mind and my body was just focused on competing and it just didn't feel tired.
I just felt great.
But whenever I got beat and I was in the car heading home and I finally got to sit down and I got home from traveling, that's when it really hit me. I was like, Wow, I'm super exhausted, and I don't know how my body was able to keep it locked in in that mode and keep playing solid golf through that entire time. But yeah, it definitely head after the USAM.
So that stretch, I mean, you played, you know, a ton of just spectacular players, and you know some of the you know, big names of the future of pro golf, and you know who would would you say is the toughest competitor that you faced off against and the you know, the kind of guy that impressed you the most.
It's kind of hard to say.
I mean, everyone brought something different to the table that I competed with being.
A force field.
I mean, you can make countless Breds in a row, you know. And then Nick Carlson I played in the USAM and got beat too. I mean he's a gritty kid. I mean he gets after him. I mean he doesn't. He just stays on the grind, stays on it, stays on it.
You know. I was really impressed the way he did that.
I mean, some kids give up if they get three down, four down, but you know, everyone just brought something different to the table than I was impressed with, whether it was a short game, whether there's the way they struck the golf ball. But I mean, and you can't really say that I had a fun competitor that I enjoyed playing with because I enjoyed playing with all of them because they all brought something different, unique to the table.
That's cool. So, you know, kind of continuing on the match play theme here, like you got and you and Nick got to go out to the Walker Cup practice at La c C. Tell us a little bit about that experience, and you know kind of what you took away from it.
Yeah, you know, I mean there's definitely a good experience getting around some of the other guys in college. It definitely helped going down there with Nick and being with a teammate, definitely loosing things up.
A little bit.
But no, it's just like I said, it's just good to get around those guys and start kind of building a team bond, whether they're going to be there or not, whether I'm gonna be there or not, it's definitely good to have that part of the process. You know, I'd never really talked to Maverick McNeely that much, but you know, me and him had some good conversations over the course
of the week. The mid Am champion Stu Haggis Dan I was able to meet him, and then Scott Harvey, who is a runner up, I got to meet him and.
Talk to him. So, you know, there was just a bunch of knowledge.
That was tossed around about golf and and some some of it about life from Spider and some of the USGA guys. You know, it's definitely one of those things that I'm never gonna forget, regardless of I'm on Walker Cup team and not. There's just a lot of a lot of cool things and good ideas tossed around at that at that practice.
Yeah, I imagine you can pick up so much from all those guys. You know, everybody just different things that other guys do a little differently or think about ways differently, and you know, and kind of and take a little bit from everybody that's out there, since everybody's got so much talent.
Yeah, I mean yeah, Like I said, Mattick McNeely, I mean he's being the number one amateur in the world.
I mean he has.
I just love picking his brain because I mean he's number one for a reason. And now I see him at some of these tournaments and I'm just watching what he does, and I mean it's the same thing every time. Even at that practice, he was still dedicated to his routine and did everything. So it was it was good to pick up on little things like that to make yourself a little bit better than just someone else behind you.
Do you watch a lot of PGA Tour golf?
Not as much.
I mean I watched the majors a little bit, but I mean I'm not really the type to sit down and watch watch around of golf on television. I'm more of kind of like watching basketball and things like that.
I gotcha. So in your free time, you like kind of getting away from the game.
Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah, That's always been one of my things is in my free time, I just completely get away from golf and I do something different or my mind's down on it. Because for me, I can't stay on a constant grind each and every day twenty four to seven of golf, golf, golf, golf. I gotta give myself a mental break and then come back to it, whether it be an hour break, a couple hour break, but I need something in there that breaks up the
time of me and concentrations. That way, I don't wear myself out.
So what are you What are some of your favorite things to do down in Champagne during your free time?
Favorite thing I mean, you know, I mean we like to watch a lot of basketball.
I mean, especially myself, play some video games. I mean we I mean typically we had to do a bunch of studying, so I mean studying is one of those
things as well. You know, I'm interested in politics, so I watch a lot of Fox News, got to catch up on everything, and I read up on some of the policies and everything going through Congress, and you know, I feel like not a lot of kids my age do that, but you know, it's definitely one of those interests that I have that I feel that my hobby is it gets me off of golf and onto something completely different.
So so if if the golf doesn't work out, are you looking to get into possibly politics?
Oh yeah, that's for sure.
That's definitely the career path I'm looking at. That's that's my majors political science. So I'm definitely interested in that field and holding the public office and doing things like that.
Nature.
Well, you could be like Bubba you know, I read that he's thinking about running for the for mayor of Pensacola.
Yeah, I mean I heard all that too, but it's awfully hard. You got to dedicate what you got to dedicate your life to it if you really want to make.
A good change and whatnot.
So we'll see what he does.
If you were a pro and in Volvic offered you, you know, say, a million dollars to play their ball, and Titleists offered you five hundred thousand to play their ball, which would you choose.
It?
Just I mean, it really depends on the page of where I'm at. I mean, if I'm Bubba Watson, I've won a couple of Masters probably gonna take the Vulvic deal, you know, just because I can. But I mean, if I'm just a new guy on tour, I'm not gonna go take a chance with the Pulvic golf ball. I'm gonna go ahead and play my titleist that I know how I'm gonna play with, and hopefully I'm gonna end up making more money that way by playing than just on endorsements.
It's so so I'm curious. Uh say, say the PGA Tour calls you up and they say, Dylan, we want to give you a sponsors exemption into the Zurich and you can pick your teammate for the for the for the tournament. Who are you rolling with?
You know?
I'm honestly I would I would say I'd be rolling.
With Rickey Faller.
I feel like I'd roll with him because I feel like there would be a lot of positive vibes going on, and I feel like he knows that team atmosphere fairly well with being from Oklahoma State.
So I mean, that's the guy I roll with.
Have you gotten to meet Ricky or play with Ricky yet?
No?
I haven't, actually, So.
That's that's that's on the bucket list, that's on.
The bugle list. I feel like that would be a good little duo.
Uh huh, it's a you guys would compliment. I feel like you feel like you guys are complimenting. He's nice and long. But it is how much how much? How important is the positive mojo for you?
Oh? Positive mojo is all nearly everything. I mean, if you can get some.
Positive mojo between you and a partner, then you can see it in college golf. I mean you can see it and the March Madains going this week. I mean, the teams that bring a positive mindset to an event are gonna be the teams are gonna be very, very hard to be just because regardless if there's adversity that hits them, they're gonna bounce right back, whether it's.
The next shot, the next hole, or anything like that. I mean, they're not going.
To be completely destroyed if they end up making a double bowie. They're gonna come back the next hole, make birdie and just keep bouncing back and keep fighting for a team. So that's positivity is something we talk about on this team. That's a part of our culture that we try to promote because.
You get it going, you get a.
Couple of birdies rolling, you send the positive vibes backwards to the guys behind you. It really starts to roll and they start making Bertie. So there's definitely that positive energy that's out there.
So do you prefer kind of the college golf season over the amateur golf season because of that, you know, kind of team atmosphere and you know the the you know, idea of playing for something bigger than yourself.
Oh yeah, for sure, because I mean this makes you, This makes you become not only a better player, but a better person.
You'll learn more.
I mean, you can be out there by yourself on the road and just playing golf and becoming a robot and not really learn anything about yourself or others, really.
Know how to interact with others.
And I mean it's definitely something say that college golf is able to do on.
The other side off the course, I mean, because you can't.
Replicate positive, positive vibes or a team atmosphere on the amateur circuit during the summer, because I mean, me and Nick will run across each other during tournaments during the summer, but there's that I mean, we want each other to do well, but it's not the same as when you're here and you're playing for your team.
So it's definitely something special to be a part of.
Yeah, that's that's it's cool. It's a I love teams stuff. It's uh, you know, I grew up playing a ton of other sports, and uh, if you were running college golf, you know what is was one thing that you would either change or you know, add whether it be a new format or a new tournament or a change in the rules. What what would what change would you make?
Man, I don't even know.
That's a tough one. So like in the NCAA tournament, I feel like all five guys should count. I feel like it's, uh, that's an added factor in there, because if your team's actually going to be the best team, you need to feel the best five out there for the week. I feel like that's important. I mean, I feel like that holds everyone accountable rather than just giving that fit guy the way out saying no, if you play good today, then you can.
Count, but if you don't, then all right.
But I feel like if you have the fifth guy into the mix, the best teams are really going to show whether I mean, it could be I mean, it could be anyone, any five guys could show up rather than just four guys.
Yeah, it adds like almost the weight. They have that element in the match play, but the stroke play, it makes a lot of sense because you got to have the most depth and the most you know, everybody's show up every round.
Huh yeah, exactly.
I mean it's kind of like basketball.
You don't when you have your starting five out there, you don't just let one guy come out, come out.
And he's just dull.
You're gonna have a guy come in that's gonna try to change the mojo and bring something to the table.
Is the fifth spot.
So that's kind of something that goes along the lines with with RNs double A tournament.
So so Illinois's got a little bit of a coaching search. You got anybody that you want to see Illinois higher?
Oh man, you know, sat here and I've thought about it, you know, I mean, obviously my dream guy that i'd want, and I just know he's not even come.
Here at Brad Stevens because.
I feel like he knows Midwest basketball more than anyone. He's he did such a great job with Butler. But you know, I honestly think I feel like Tony Bennett would be a good one. Definitely a good one from Virginia.
But yeah, I mean I don't really.
Have a big wish list. I mean, whoever we get, they're gonna hopefully turn the program around. And you know, I trust Whitman on what he's doing. I mean, he did higher Levey, so we'll see. And the donors are willing to pay in the university is willing to pay this new coach, so well, we'll see what what we get.
Yeah, yeah, we I'm a I'm an Illinois grad, so I've been watching that. I'm hoping for a big higher I think Brad Stevens is doing pretty good in that NB in the NBA unfortunately.
Yeah, yeah, I know that definitely would it. You almost hope that he was having a bad.
Year this year that he would think about coming back, but that's definitely not gonna happen.
Yeah. Yeah, So we've got some we got some Twitter questions. I want to get to here and uh and Nick deferred to you on on Brett's question of if you could compare you and Nick to any w w E tag team, who would it be?
Oh Man.
Man old Man w w E tag team. Trying to think of a good one here. You know, honestly, I think we'd be around the D generation X to be completely honest, I.
Think we bring we bring some spice to the table. We're a little bit something different.
You know, we're kind of in your face of a tag team. So I feel like that's kind.
Of what we'd be related to.
That's a little a little spicy. You know, you got you got two different styles of play. I think you could be, you know, one of the great pairings of like a little like a two different style wrestlers too.
You know that's exactly try well, Shawn Michael's a little triple h you know.
So uh Stewart uh Hagastad's got got a question here is which would you rather wear for every round of golf? A floral sunby and white sunglasses or socks and crocs.
Oh man, I'm telling you I'd be I would be the floral hat with white sunglasses because it just just screams class I feel like, you know what I mean. But then again, you have the socks and the crocs that scream I'm a grinder, don't really have it all. When I'm gonna go out there and give it everything I got. And this is what I got and this is what I'm gonna do with it. But I'm definitely more of the floral hat and white sunglasses, you know.
Stu. Stu texted me and he he guessed the opposite of what happened. He thought you were going to be the socks and crocs guy and Nick was going to be the sunbonnet and white sunglasses. Yeah.
Yeah, he texted me and told me that too. But you know, my honest opinion was I figure that Hardy would go with socks and crocs.
I go socks and crocs. You know, I think it just says that, you know, you don't really give a shit. I ex right, So Brian Atkinson, former online I golfer wants to know one course for the rest of your life, and you can't quit orange or blue.
I'm gonna go with orange. You know. They they've actually had some really good.
Greens over the past seven eight months. I mean they've been so they've been rolling so good. So I take play at Orange, man.
I stayed down one summer for summer school, and I'd play it out of the orange and and like you'd have love wedges in and you'd have to land I'm sure to the green because we're so rock hard. It's it's it's something else. I hope one day they get like a really great university golf course, like you know, you see a lot of universities have some good tracks and and that'd be a cool thing for Illinois to get.
Yeah, definitely, that would be That's definitely one of those wishless items.
Yeah, yeah, we just uh, we gotta get we gotta talk to the right donors.
Right, that's exactly right.
So Todd Mitchell wants to know why do you like salad so much?
Why I like salad so much? Yeah, you know, I'm not really the.
Healthiest kid out there, so I think.
That's kind of why you wanted to know that question.
But can I always.
Drink coke and I'm always eating kind of like snack foods and things like that and never really get the salad before the meals and the buffet lines. So yeah, that's probably where that stims from.
Well, you know, I'm I'm more of the.
Burger king fast food guy, you know.
To Todd's becoming an old man, so he's he's got to take care of himself a little bit more than you. You know.
Yeah, he's gotta eat his greens.
You know, he's gotta stay a little bit healthier.
And all that good stuff.
Yeah he's Uh, he's a heck of a player, though, I'll tell you what.
Yes he is. Yes, he is a good guy too, good guy.
Yeah, very good guy. So I get you out of here with one last question, then we'll do a little overrated underrated. But of all the former and current aligne, I, if you could take one aspect of their golf game, whose would you take? And uh, why.
I would take Charlie's short game, to be honest. I mean, he's he's got one of the best short games that I've ever I've ever seen, and it's always it always keeps him alive. So that's definitely one of the things I didn't want to take. And no, I try to learn from him over the course of time, and you know he learned from coach, so.
Taking in what coach has said.
But yeah, that's kind of who I'd go with.
Yeah, I was. I was happy to see him Monday into the Valsparre and make a tut. I mean, it's it's only a matter of time. Before he gets out there full time.
Yeah, sooner or later you'll get there.
Yeah, he's too much talent not to get there. So let's let's go to overrated, underrated all right? Uh, lifting weights.
Lifting weights, underrated.
Underrated all right? Silver mine subs.
Silver mine subs. Yeah, they still have no idea, no idea what that is.
It doesn't exist anymore.
I have no idea what that is?
Man. That shows how old I am.
I'm gonna go with It's underrated, theted.
You know, we're gonna switch it to Papa Dell's. I you know, I thought I thought there was no way silver Mine wouldever be gone.
Oh yeah, Papa. That's definitely definitely underrated.
All right, alright? Uh Tom de Tree's.
Hair, Oh Tom Tree's hair. Man, that's neither underrated or overrated.
It's just perfect. It's perfect. Man. You can't you can't pit that one on me, all right, hutting cutting, Oh man, that's underrated. Too many people don't really focus on it.
They always think I've hit the long ball and everything like that. But trust me, I put it terrible in Vegas, and I hit the ball the best I ever did, and I came in twenty five, So it's definitely underrated.
Yeah, putting bad is just the worst.
Yeah, it's awful.
Track man, track.
Man, there's aspects of it that can be overrated. You can start looking at way too many things and you can get so wrapped up and swing and that's definitely not.
Who I am.
I'm more of a field guy, so that's I would go overrated.
Yeah, I'm on the overrated train there too. So Hey, thank Dylan, thanks for the time, and I want to wish you the best of luck here in the spring, restless spring, and hopefully we'll get to see you up at rich Harvest.
All right, thank you, I appreciate it.
Ye, have a good one, all right, you too,