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U of Illinois Teammates Receive JDC Sponsor Exemptions

Dylan Meyer (left) and Nick Hardy, teammates at the University of Illinois, received sponsor exemptions for the 2017 John Deere Classic.

Two recipients of sponsor exemptions for this year's John Deere Classic are college teammates. 

Nick Hardy and Dylan Meyer will enter their senior year at the University of Illinois this fall, and they're already playing alongside the pros.

In fact, Hardy qualified for both the 2015 and 2016 U.S. Opens.

"I'll never forget how nervous I was on the first tee," Hardy says. "I think just playing in front of a crowd like that and playing with the best players in the world and having that experience wear off for those first two times is huge."

Meyer hasn't asked Hardy, his close friend, for advice about playing with the professionals.

"Seeing him do that gives me inspiration to just be in that moment as well, but it's always exciting following him," Meyer says. "I wasn't going to pick his brain because I know he's going to try to keep that competitive edge and he might give me false information — "

"Yeah right!" 

" — I'm just kidding. But no, we kind of stick to our own games so I know that he's going to be a little bit different since he's about 40 yards past me usually, so it's okay."

Hardy and Meyer will tee off Thursday morning in the opening round of the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis.