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.

Hardy was simply grateful to be in the field after gaining entry as an alternate when Taylor Moore withdrew before his 8 a.m. tee time. He got Moore's spot in a grouping off No. 1 with Ben Martin and Kevin Roy. The start marked Hardy’s 15th Tour appearance of the season, enough to vest in the Tour’s retirement plan.

“A lot of the decision to travel, talking with my wife about it, was to complete that goal because that was one of my goals this year, and that's today,” Hardy said. “So, I mean, it really couldn't have been a better day for me.”

The 30-year-old, a one-time PGA Tour winner, has spent much of the season navigating life with limited status in the past champions category. He entered the week as the third alternate but decided Tuesday night it was worth the gamble to fly south of the border.

“I've gone to tournaments and not gotten in, and I've gone to tournaments and gotten in as an alternate,” he said. “I just wanted to run my luck and see if it was going to happen. I didn't really know much, but I decided to come.

“That's one of those weeks for me where a start means a lot, so why not go see if your number gets called?”

Hardy went to bed early Wednesday night and awoke Thursday morning to a text informing him he had moved to first alternate because neither Luke List nor S.Y. Noh was on site.

“Waking up with that news was nice,” Hardy said.

It's been a difficult season for Hardy, who has split time between the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. He entered the week having made just four cuts in 14 PGA Tour starts and ranked 193rd in the FedEx Cup Fall standings.

“It totally sucks,” said Hardy, who finished 175th in the FedEx Cup standings in 2025 after struggling with his putting. “When I get in, I can't not play. It's a wild year for me. It could've turned out where I had nothing after being a winner on the PGA Tour for two years.”

With just three more events remaining in the fall portion of the schedule, Hardy was running out of opportunities to get his 15th start. Had he failed to advance via Monday qualifying or receive another start as an alternate later this fall, potentially at the RSM Classic, he would have finished one start short of vesting for the 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.

That helps explain why Hardy wore a smile all day, even after making double bogey on the ninth hole. His coach, Sean Foley, walked alongside his group and noticed Hardy's upbeat demeanor.

“I was just walking down the fairway exaggerating smiles because he knows how big it is to get another start,” Hardy said. “Just kind of goofing off with him.

“Yeah, it's just amazing. My luck's pretty good right now, so let's just parlay it into some good golf.”