HIGHLANDS RANCH —There was never any doubt that Austin Hardman was going to tell the truth.
It’s his way.
At a recent Continental League meet at Lone Tree Golf Club, Hardman, a senior at Mountain Vista, had just pumped one onto the green with his 7-iron. But when he put the club back into his bag, he was horrified to see his 3-iron.
“It’s the extra club I keep in case something happens,” Hardman said.
It usually stays in his car. But the day before, a friend had grabbed his bag for him, saw the club, thought it had fallen out of the bag and put it in.
Hey, what are friends for?
Hardman was about to make the turn at least 3-under-par, and no other Golden Eagle had a score below par in a tournament.
No one would have known … except Hardman.
“I told myself that if I do shoot a 60-something, they’ll put my name on a plaque in school that I would be the first to break par,” he said. “I’d be in school history forever. If I did cheat, I’d never forgive myself.”
So Hardman came clean to an opposing coach, revealing he was carrying an extra club. He had feared he was facing an 18-stroke penalty, as in two strokes per hole that the forbidden 15th club had been in his bag.
Goodbye, below-par score.
After checking the golf rule book on a phone, luckily, and unknown to him, it had been changed in recent years. Yes, any more than 14 clubs in the bag remains a two-stroke penalty; but, no, the penalty no longer is multiplied by the number of holes it was carried by a player. It’s simply a two-stroke penalty with no more than a maximum of four strokes penalized.
Hardman went on to shoot a 66, took his penalty strokes and ended with a 2-under 70.
Sweet? You bet. But not necessarily for the reasons you would think.
“My coach (Tim Taylor) was proud of me for calling myself out,” he said. “So were my parents.”
So Hardman headed to Grand Junction this weekend to prepare for Class 5A regional qualifying Monday at Bookcliff Country Club. It’s the path to the big-school state tournament, Oct. 5-6 at Fort Collins CC.
A year ago he made the state field and shot only 81-81 (tied for 53rd), but he has won three tournaments this season, including shooting a 67, after a strong summer showing.
“I think I can (win) if I play my best,” he said.
Also a caddie at Cherry Hills, Hardman is a 6-foot-5 right-hander who can wax it off the tee as far as 330 yards. He hasn’t decided where he will attend college but certainly knows where he’s coming from.
“I just have to thank my parents, my coaches and my teammates,” Hardman said. “My parents taught me that honesty is the main thing in life.”
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or
