Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 17, 1994 TAG: 9408100025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Randy King
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The Virginia Tech golf coach got it Wednesday night at Richmond's Willow Oaks Country Club, where he was named as the 1994 inductee into the Dewars Hall of Fame for Virginia Golf Professionals.
``I had been pretty down about things recently due to my back problem,'' Hardwick said. ``You get that way when you start to think about the possibility of never being able to play golf again.
``Well, if it has to be, it has to be. But whatever happens, this award caps off a great career. This is the ultimate, let me tell you.''
The 45-year-old head pro at the Virginia Tech Golf Club was a unanimous choice in voting among the Hall's 10 members, said 1992 inductee Wayne Holley of Roanoke.
``There was never a question with Jay,'' Holley said. ``The man has done so much for the game of golf.''
Hardwick said he was ``totally surprised'' by the award.
``When they called my name, I said to myself, `Boy, it would have been nice to have had my family here for this.' Then, suddenly, all my family parades into the room. I was so overcome by the whole thing that I couldn't help but break down a little.''
The award is based on contributions to golf, dedication as a professional, relationship with club and members, playing ability and career accomplishments.
The previous winners were Butch Liebler, Frank Herrelko, John Snyder of the Water's Edge, Peter Hodson, Leo Steinbrecher, Chandler Harper, Bill Smith, Holley, Chuck Bassler and Mark Lambert.
``Seven or eight of those guys had a real impact on my career,'' Hardwick said. ``That makes it even more special for me.''
Hardwick, wearing a neck brace and under doctor's orders not to swing a club, said he expects to know in the next two or three weeks whether he will have to undergo back surgery. He had two ruptured cervical disks repaired in a 1986 operation.
``I started having problems about three weeks ago ... my arms were starting to go numb,'' Hardwick said. ``Comes to find out I've ruptured the one [disk] between the two that were fused in '86. If they have to operate, it could be a real problem.
``It's just a degenerative process that's occurred over the years from playing and hitting a lot of balls. I was able to change my swing after the first operation and play for eight years without pain. But if there's another surgery, playing quality, competitive golf is really going to be difficult.''
Hardwick said the situation has changed his outlook, including a possible qualifying effort for the Senior PGA Tour in 1999.
``If I can't play the game anymore, I've still been fortunate to have had a great career,'' he said. ``Hopefully, if I can't play, I'll still have enough credibility left that people would trust me to let me teach them the game.''
GRANT-ED WISH: Before heading to the U.S. Open in June, Mike Grant said his dream was to ``play Oakmont on the weekend.''
The 24-year-old Radford native got his wish - for half a hole, anyway.
Grant was in the middle of the 18th fairway when the second round was halted because of darkness Friday night. He was back on No.18 at 7:15 a.m. Saturday, took seven minutes to play three shots, and then was out of there, missing the cut at 156.
QUOTEBOARD: ``The consensus - and my feeling, too - is John should go crawl back under that rock from which he came.'' - Curtis Strange, responding to John Daly's charge that some PGA Tour players are using drugs.
``It was ugly, but it was effective ... when you're five up with four [holes] to go, you'd better damn well win.'' - Lynchburg native Donna Andrews, after surviving a near-collapse down the stretch to win the ShopRite Classic on July 2, her third title of the LPGA season.
TOURNAMENT WRAP: Hanging Rock's Chip Sullivan shot a final-round 69 - the low round of the tournament - to finish sixth in the 54-hole Maryland State Open, which concluded Wednesday in Bethesda. ... Galax's Tom McKnight tied for 12th in the recent Sunnehanna Amateur in Johnstown, Pa. McKnight, who cost himself a top-five finish with a final-round 76, wound up 10 shots behind winner Allen Doyle. ...
Keep an eye on youngster Brandon LaCroix. The 14-year-old Roanoker shot 75-72 this week in Raleigh, N.C., where he lost in a playoff for the overall title at the Jack Ratz Invitational. LaCroix will be a freshman in the fall at North Cross. ... George May beat Dale Reed in a match of cards to win the RVGA's string tournament July 9 at Hanging Rock. May and Reed each had a 9-under 64. Dave Felts was third with a 65. ... The team of Marilyn Bussey, Kit Davis, Mar-C Milona and Judy Knight shot 12-under 60 to win the recent Red Cross benefit captain's choice at Hanging Rock.
TOURNAMENTS ON TAP: Entries still are being accepted for the 11th Juvenile Diabetes Foundation-Cox Cable charity tournament Aug.8-9 at Hanging Rock. The captain's choice tournament has raised more than $350,000 for diabetes research in its first 10 years. Pick up entry forms at your local pro shop, or call the JDF office at 345-8193. Entry deadline is Aug.5. ... A record 130 entries have been received for the fourth Smith Mountain Lake Junior Invitational, scheduled for July 25-26 at The Waterfront. Troutville's Mark Sweeney, competing in the 13-15 age group, won the overall title last year, upsetting 16-18 winner Ryan Ketron of Roanoke by one stroke. ... Entry forms for the Aug.17-21 Valley Amateur have been distributed to local clubs. ... The American Junior Golf Association-sanctioned ClubCorp Junior Players Championship will be played Aug.1-5 at The Homestead. The 54-hole tournament kicks off a series of tournaments scheduled for 1995 that will cater to the AJGA's growing membership of boys 13-16.
SAND BLASTS: Andrews, who has banked a career-high $341,278 this season, will be one of the favorites at the U.S. Women's Open, which starts Thursday in Lake Orion, Mich. Andrews was third in 1992 and second last year. ... The Carolinas team beat the Virginias squad 62-37 in this year's Virginias-Carolina women's team matches at the Peninsula Club in Lake Norman, N.C. It was the sixth consecutive victory in the series for the Carolinas. ... Virginia Tech graduate Tommy Wine has been named head pro at Kiln Creek in Newport News. ... The Myrtle Beach, S.C.-based Legends Group has announced it plans to build six to eight courses along the I-64 corridor between Richmond and Virginia Beach. ... Matt Sutphin, the Radford University women's coach, has announced the signing of three players for the 1994-95 season - Susan McArthur of Patrick County High School, Julie Whitehead of Vienna and Alisha Judge of Ripley, W.Va.
by CNB