Man Sues Ford Dealer, Country Club for Bilking Him Out of Hole-In-One F-150 Prize Truck

The country club allegedly promised a free truck to whoever could hit a hole-in-one in a particular hole. Now this golfer's making them put their money where their mouth is.
Austin Clagett poses next to the 2022 Ford F-150 4x4 crew cab he won at a golf tournament
via Denton & Zachary, PLLC

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An Arkansas golfer is suing a Ford dealership and a country club after nailing a hole-in-one he was promised would net him a free 2022 Ford F-150—only for both parties to claim the truck was never up to win to begin with.

The truck was reportedly offered as a prize as part of a golf tournament Oct. 8 at Morrilton Country Club in Morrilton, Arkansas, according to The Kansas City Star. A screen capture of a Sept. 13 Facebook post from the country club shows the club stating that Jay Hodge Ford “has given us a truck to give away,” referring to a 2022 Ford F-150 crew cab 4×4 reportedly valued at $53,595. Another screen capture of a subsequent post on Oct. 7 promised that a “Hole in one on #10 gets you the keys to this F-150! Thanks to Jay Hodge Ford of Morrilton!” Jay Hodge Ford “liked” this post, which may be an endorsement.

Lo and behold, on the day of the tournament amateur golfer Austin Clagett scored a hole-in-one (allegedly his first) on the very hole that was supposed to net him the truck. In a video provided by Clagett’s lawyers, an individual identified as country club employee Justin Nowlin can be seen calling the dealer right after the hole-in-one was made. The dealer allegedly answered: “Oh, don’t tell me,” to which the man believed to be Nowlin replied: “Unfortunately, it happened.”

On Oct. 12, Jay Hodge Ford claimed on Facebook that it had only provided the truck “for display during the event,” and blamed “management at the golf course” for the implication that the truck could be won. It claims that the truck was offered as a prize “without our knowledge,” although the posts shown above may indicate otherwise.

Jay Hodge Ford of Morrilton’s statement. Facebook

According to Clagett’s lawyers, he tried to sort things out with the country club and dealer in private but to no avail. That prompted him to sue both, and his lawyers are claiming he was denied his advertised winnings.

“This is about doing what is right,” Andrew Norwood, attorney at Denton & Zachary, PLLC, told The Kansas City Star. “Mr. Clagett lived up to his end of the deal when he got the hole-in-one and now Morrilton Country Club and Jay Hodge Ford of Morrilton want to crawfish out of the deal. If they didn’t want to pay up when Mr. Clagett got a hole-in-one, they shouldn’t have offered the deal.”

Morrilton Country Club has deleted its Facebook page, though its posts promising the truck have been saved and submitted as exhibits in Clagett’s legal complaint.

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