A scorecard confession that cost an Ohio high school golfer the state championship five years ago has earned him a national sportsmanship of the decade award.
Adam Van Houten (HOW'-ten) of Mount Gilead High School in north-central Ohio had finished the 2005 state high school golf championship with a seven-stroke lead when he noticed a mistake on his card.
A playing partner had written down a 5 for the 10th hole instead of 6. Van Houten pointed out the mistake to officials and was disqualified because he'd already signed the card.
Five years later, Van Houten's act has won him a spot on Sports Illustrated's sportsmanship of the decade list.
Van Houten is now a sophomore on the golf team at George Mason University near Washington.
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Information from: News Journal, http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com
