hardly HAD any strength left...
Hello!
This is an FCE question. This time it is my answer that is wrong

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

At the end of the race he had very little strength left.
HARDLY
At the end of the race _______________ left.

MY ANSWER: At the end of the race he HAD hardly any strength left.
KEY SAYS: At the end of the race he hardly HAD any strength left.

Is my answer completely wrong? Could you explain why my answer is wrong? What do I have to pay attention to?

Thank you!

Question

hardly HAD any strength left...
Hello!
This is an FCE question. This time it is my answer that is wrong

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words, including the word given.

At the end of the race he had very little strength left.
HARDLY
At the end of the race  _______________ left.

MY ANSWER: At the end of the race he HAD hardly any strength left.
KEY SAYS: At the end of the race he hardly HAD any strength left.

Is my answer completely wrong? Could you explain why my answer is wrong? What do I have to pay attention to?

Thank you!

Answer

It is just a matter of word order. In English, there is a more logical word order but we can sometimes change the word order to emphasise (stress, highlight) a particular thing.
We usually put hardly in mid position, between the subject and the main verb "He hardly had any strength left" but it would not be incorrect to do it your way: He had hardly any strength left - it is just a little less "usual" :) Sometimes the word order is not flexible and changing it would result in an incorrect sentence - but not in this case.
I hope it helps.
Good luck with your FCE preparation! :)

Answer

Your answer is fine.  It would be accepted as an alternative key.

Answer

interesting answers, but do they answer "the question" which is "had" with "hardly" "had hardly" or "hardly had".
"he/she/it/they/I/we hardy +" <-no had is a different question.
"he/she/they/I/we (verb) +"

Answer

Both answers seem equivalent to me.

English Grammar in Use 4th edition by Murphy (Cambridge) addresses this in unit 101, page 202.

Unit 101C uses hardly before the verb.  
- She hardly spoke to me.
- We hardly know each other.

Unit 101D notes that hardly can be placed before a noun.

- She said hardly anything.  or  She hardly said anything.
- We've got hardly any money.  or   We've hardly got any money.

Answer

I am becoming more convinced the more I look, that your course book or the Author wants you to get into the automatic habit of placing the Had after Hardly or in the mid position. 
so that you will then automatically say and write like this always.
"Hardly had they reached Edinburgh than they were ordered to return to London"
"No sooner had I got into the house than the phone rang."
Both from "Longman's English dictionary". 
There are numerous other examples in dictionaries on the internet. I believe this is a conflict between the older style of teaching I was subject to, and the modern style that is seriously confusing you and other learners.