If everyone followed the advice of the top current men's amateur player in the Roanoke Valley, some golf courses might go broke. The area's driving ranges? Heck, just blow those things up.
Play sparingly and absolutely never practice. That's Chris Clemens' take on how to play your best golf. Obviously, the theory suits his game quite well. Providing more concrete evidence of such Sunday, the Salem lawyer shot a steady, even-par 71 at Blue Hills and captured his first Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame championship. Combined with his triumph in last July's Roanoke Valley Match Play championship, Clemens now owns both of the valley's major titles at the same time.
"I don't think I get a jacket for this one," said Clemens, jokingly referring to a navy blue sports coat he received for his Match Play victory. "I also got a [logo] patch for that jacket, but you don't have to wear the patch."
Clemens, who entered the final tied for the lead with Roy Foutz, finished with a 54-hole total of 2-under 212. That was one shot better than 1994 champion Rodney Naff, who, coincidentally, is the last guy in town to own both major titles concurrently.
When it was noted that he won both his majors in the same year, Naff laughed and retorted: "Yeah, well now [Clemens] has got something else to do."
Foutz carded a 73 to finish in a four-way tie for third at 214 with two-time winner Scott Wise (70), 2003 HOF juniors champion Matt Willard (69) and Botetourt's Marshall Bailey (69). Andy Foster, a former William Byrd standout who now plays at Marshall, shot a final-round 70 to take seventh at 215.
Jack Allara (69), Jake Allison (71), Miller Baber (72) and Gary Leroux (72) - all past winners of valley majors - were next at 216. Three-time HOF champion Bobby Penn, despite severe back pain that sent him to the ground at least three times in the final two rounds, gutted his way to a 73 and tied Mark Funderburke (68) at 217.
Playing in the final group for the first time in a major, Clemens took sole possession of the lead when Foutz bogeyed the first hole. Clemens - a 38-year-old Salem City Councilman - never looked back, mixing five birdies with five bogeys.
"I was nervous from the first shot to the last putt," Clemens said. "I think I've just been in the right place at the right time. Somebody probably should have shot 7 or 8 under this year. But nobody really played that great, and that surprised me because you've got some really, really good players. And for some reason, they just didn't make a lot of birdies.
"I just want to thank [2004 champion] Matt Mankin for turning pro. If he had played, he would have won it. Plus, you've got [2000 winner] Robbie Craft hanging around here and he shot 61 and set the course record here recently. So I think a lot of us are fortunate that people have turned pro."
Clemens, who been "a stalker" who routinely hovered in the top 10 in valley majors before last summer, said raising a family - he and his wife, Meg, have two young sons with another child due in October - has kept him grounded somewhat from golf in recent years.
"To win this and the Match Play in one year with the amount of golf Chris plays is incredible. People don't believe it, but he does not play. He's like Bruce Lietzke," said Clemens' younger brother, Chip, referring to the current PGA Tour pro who plays a very limited schedule.
Foutz, 42, who had ridden a hot putter the first two rounds, was betrayed by his flat stick Sunday.
"I missed a couple of short ones early," he said. "Chris, though, was just solid. He's down the middle, on the green and he chips and putts great. So I'm not surprised he won.
"I'll take third. If somebody had told me I'd finish in the top five, I'd probably taken it and not teed off."
Hidden Valley posted a final-round four-man total of even-par 284 to capture its second team title in three years. RCC, which has won the team championship a record 11 times, finished seven shots back.
Reprinted with permission from The Roanoke Times.
