One of Chris Clemens' specialties in his Salem law office is lending professional advice to those nabbed for speeding tickets.

Well, if somebody can't slow Clemens down in today's final round of the 32nd Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame men's championship, he could be the proud holder of both of the valley's major golf titles concurrently.

"Wow! I haven't thought about that," said Clemens, 38, who captured the Roanoke Valley Match Play title last July, but has spent much of his time since fathering his two sons, ages 5 and 2.

"These days all I think about is changing diapers, what we're going to have for snacks at night or for breakfast. And I think that's why I'm playing better golf because I'm thinking about my family more than I'm thinking about 'where are we going to play tomorrow?'"

Today Clemens and his efficient, rock-solid game will be at Blue Hills, where he and two-time Hidden Valley club champion Roy Foutz will tee off with a two-shot lead. The pair of steady grinders are tied through 36 holes at 3-under 141. A pack of 14 players, including a lot of big names, are bunched within four shots of the lead.

"It's going to be a shootout, absolutely, there are a lot of guys who can win this thing," said Foutz, 42, who will gunning for his biggest triumph ever.

"I've always been the kind of guy who hangs around, but I never got it to the house. I've never won much of anything, so it would be huge for me."

Jeff Younginer, making his HOF debut with new member Blacksburg Country Club, and Chris Gibson of Waterfront are tied for third, two shots back. A quartet at 144 includes three-time champion Bobby Penn, two-time Roanoke Valley Match Play titlist Miller Baber, 1998 Match Play winner Gary Leroux, and Rodney Naff, whose 1994 HOF victory enabled him to become the last player to ever hold both of the valley's major titles at the same time.

Need more contenders? Well, the group four shots off the pace includes such stalwarts as Scott Wise and Jake Allison, both two-time winners, perennial contender Cam Young, dangerous Tony Montgomery and a trio of young, talented limberbacks - Matt Willard, Andy Foster and Marshall Bailey.

Clemens, who also serves as a Salem councilman, has hit 29 of 36 greens in regulation en route to consecutive 1-under rounds.

"I just can't seem to putt it as well as you would want to," he said. "The greens will be a little quicker at Blue Hills, and I think that will help me."
Foutz, whose 69 matched Younginer, Penn and teenager Chris Wirt for Saturday's low round, hasn't had any problem with slow greens the past two days.

"I've been kind of just scraping it around and making every putt I had to make," he said.

Hidden Valley shot even-par 284 to increase its lead on Roanoke Country Club to seven shots in the team competition.

Reprinted with permission from The Roanoke Times.