32 / May 31, 2014 SPORTS The Recorder, Amsterdam, N.Y.

Lets talk
about proper
set makeup.
The rules of
golf state that
you can only
carry 14
clubs in any
given round,
and having
the proper
configuration
of clubs in
your bag can
lead to better
scores.
For example, a senior student
may want more hybrids and less
of the long irons. A skilled play-
er who is looking to be able to
work the ball, may want a set his
bag up with 3-9 irons, a pitching
wedge, a gap wedge and a sand
wedge, a 2-hybrid, 3-wood,
driver and a putter.
Make sure that your set fits
your game and the course you
play the most. You may belong
to a club that has
a lot of short
holes, so maybe
you would bene-
fit from having
another wedge
in your bag and
forego the 3-wood.
After you figure out what clubs
you would like to carry, make
sure that you get properly fit for
the correct shaft. Having a shaft
that is too soft may result in a
more than desired loft and unnec-
essary movement of the ball.
Having a shaft that is too stiff
may result in a lower than desired
loft and also cause unnecessary
movement of the ball. Before you
buy your next set, seek out your
local PGAprofessional and go
through a proper fitting.
Courses are greening up, get
out and play some golf.
RICH SCOTT is the PGA
professional at Fox Run Golf
Club in Johnstown
The importance of keeping
the right clubs in your bag
By
RICH
SCOTT
RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) Paul Casey expected to be chasing someone
Friday in the Memorial, figuring it would be Rory McIlroy.
After two holes, Casey had the lead to himself at Muirfield Village,
and that was only the start of another big day. He took advantage of
the par 5s for another 6-under 66, giving him a three-shot lead over
Masters champion Bubba Watson going into the weekend.
McIlroy, whose 63 was the lowest first round in the 39-year history
of the tournament, was barely in the picture. He was 15 shots worse
with a 78, courtesy of three straight double bogeys and his fourth
straight PGA Tour event with a nine-hole score of 40 or higher.
McIlroy went from a three-shot lead to nine shots behind.
To be honest, I thought I was going to be playing a round to try and
maybe catch a couple of guys, Casey said. I woke up checking the
scores to see what Rory was going to be. Thats really what I was
going to be doing see how many under I was going to have to try
to shoot to chase. Obviously, that didnt happen.
Casey, taking another step on a long road back from injuries that
nearly derailed his career, was at 12-under 132.
He made his first birdie with his best drive of the day on the par-5
11th, setting up a 4-iron onto the green for a two-putt birdie. He made
eagle on the par-5 15th hole for the second straight day, and he stuffed
it close around the turn for birdies to start pulling away from the field.
Watson gave him a good run in an active round that featured six
birdies, five bogeys and an eagle. He only was angry at a few shots
where he failed to concentrate. Even so, a bogey-bogey finish wasnt
enough to entirely ruin his day. Watson has never finished better than
23rd in eight previous appearances.
I cant look at the bogeys, Watson said. Ive got to look at where
Im at. If you told me its my best two days around this golf course,
Id take it.
Chris Kirk (70) was four shots behind. Hideki Matsuyama (67) and
Martin Flores (68) were five back.
Adam Scott, who won Colonial in his debut at No. 1 in the world,
shot 70 and was at 5-under 139, still in the mix depending on how
Casey fares on the weekend. Phil Mickelson was happy to get in two
more rounds. He shot a 70, though he was 10 shots back.
Casey, once a Ryder Cup regular who reached as high as No. 3 in the
world, is slowly getting his game and his life back in the right place.
He endured injuries to his shoulder and his toe that kept him winless
for more than two years. He went through a divorce. He wondered if
he would ever return to the brand of golf he was capable of playing.
Weeks like this offer promise.
Casey won the Irish Open a year ago with what he called spectac-
ular golf. The game is still there.
Its slowly crawling along and making progress, climbing back up
the ladder, however you want to phrase it, Casey said. Its very dif-
ficult when youve played to a certain level and then ... I genuinely
had no clue how to play to that level.
Luckily, I didnt think about that too long.
His life is back in order. Casey is married to British television pre-
senter Pollyanna Woodward. They are expecting their first child (a
boy) in September. He talks about having perspective, knowing where
golf fits on his list of whats important.
His golf has looked familiar over the last two days.
McIlroy could say the same. Except for last week at the BMWPGA
Championship in England, which he won with birdies on the last two
holes, McIlroys good golf has been stalled by bad patches, and Friday
was no exception.
In fact, it nearly has become the rule.
He shot a 43 on the back nine he started the round at No. 10
making this the fourth consecutive PGA Tour event where he shot at
least 40 over nine holes. All of them have been in the second round.
McIlroy twice hit the trees on the 13th hole and made double
bogey. He hit into the water on the 14th for double bogey. And then
he double-hit a wedge on the 15th to make it three straight double
bogeys.
By THOMAS COUGHLIN
sports@recordernews.com
There are plenty of results from
the Memorial Day weekend, but
Ill get to those in a moment.
First I would like to remind
everyone that all the pre race
events that were planned for the
Lou Lazzaro Memorial Race will
be held today, from 1 p.m. to 4
p.m. at the Fonda Speedway
museum area. After last weeks
postponement, Fonda promoter
Matt Delorenzo was quick to
agree to carrying over the tribute
celebration.
Just as was done at the Glen
Ridge Motorsports Park, all vet-
erans and active nilitary with ID
will be admitted free to tonights
racing program. Also anyone
with a Lazzaro shirt, hat, or jack-
et will receive a $4 discount on a
general admission ticket. Its also
Firemans Night and all Firemen
with ID will receive a $2 dis-
count. General admission tonight
is $10 as the Empire Super
Sprints will not be racing, but
there is hope that they will be
able to reschedule. Tonight is
also a tailgate night with infield
parking.
The speedway di announce that
a piece of iron from the 9/11
attack of the World Trade Center
is expected to be on display. I
know that it was there for a short
period last week, this piece will
eventually end up in the Veterans
Memorial Park in the town of
Florida.
You may hear how Stewart
Friesen had a memorable
Memorial Day weekend going 7-
for-7 at Utica-Rome Speedway
on Sunday with the Doug Emery
No. 33 ESS sprinter, winning his
heat race, the Dash, and the 25 lap
Lucas Oil feature and on top
of that driving the Tom Cullen
No. 1wgc to a heat win and win-
ning his first NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series modified
feature of 2014. Then Monday,
Friesen continude his win streak
in the No. 1wgc as he again won
his qualifying heat and the
Victoria 200 for $10,000. But, his
weekend did not start out that
way as Friday at Albany-Saratoga
Speedway, the Emery No. 33, was
late arriving at the track as the
weather had the team questioning
on whether it was worth the effort
to even tow to the track.
Maybe it was the wrong move,
but who knows? Because in one
of those rare instances Friesen
ended up not even finishing his
heat race as he was collected in
someone else in an on track mis-
cue and ended up taking a just
enough of a tumble to end his
night as a spectator. His fiance,
Jessica Zemken, finished second
in her No. 1z after a hard fought
battle with event winner Chuck
Hebing. Zemken went on to also
finish sixth in the Monday ESS
show at U-R. Then, although
Fonda was forced to pull the plug
on last weeks racing, Oswego
Speedway was able to squeeze in
its special tribute events and
Zemken ended up with a
respectable night in the Novelis
Supermodified division as she
won her qualifying heat race and
finished sixth to race winner and
Canajoharie resident Otto
Sitterly, who won hiss sixth Jim
Shampine Memorial 75. In the
Tony White Memorial 35 for the
Pathfinder Bank Small Block
Supermodifieds, Kreig Heroth of
Ephratah wrapped up his night
with a fine fourth-place finish.
Fans have been witnessing some
great action up at Glen Ridge, as
last week John Lutes Jr. ran the
race of his career for 34 laps only
to make a miscue on a last-lap
restart that allowed former modi-
fied champion Jeremy Wilder to
slip by and take his first win of
the 2014 season and the $2,711
winners share of the purse. It
wouldve been the first win for
Lutes, and one can only speculate
that losing a race in that manner
will make him hungrier to
achieve that elusive first victory.
Hales Mills Counrty Club will
present Sundays program at
Glen Ridge, with racing begin-
ning at 6 p.m.
Lazzaro tribute rescheduled; wild weekend for Friesen
AUTO RACING SCENE
DOVER, Del. (AP) Four-time NASCAR
champion Jeff Gordon said Friday he will have to
retire if he continues to suffer the same, excruciat-
ing back pain that he did before last weekends
Coca-Cola 600.
The 42-year-old Gordon is in no hurry to slow down.
But he said he hopes he has found some solutions to
the back woes that nearly forced him out of
NASCARs longest race. Gordon cut short his practice
runs last week because of back spasms and there was
some concern whether or not he would be able to race.
Regan Smith was on standby and Gordon needed
treatment after the practice session. But he wound
up in his familiar seat behind the wheel of the No.
24 and finished seventh, his ninth top-10 finish in
12 races this season.
Gordon knows consistent, shooting pain like he
suffered at Charlotte Motor Speedway could drive
him toward an early retirement.
I can tell you, if that happens many more times, I
wont have a choice, Gordon said Friday at Dover
Motor Speedway.
Gordon had soreness Monday and Tuesday,
though that didnt deviate too much from how he
would feel after driving 600 grueling miles. He said
his back is not at 100 percent, and probably never
will be behind the wheel.
At Daytona this year, Gordon insisted he was seri-
ous about considering retirement should he win a
fifth championship. He looks every bit a title con-
tender he has a win and holds the points lead
and gutting out Charlotte proved to his Hendrick
Motorsports team its going to take a lot to get us
down.
Gordon suffered serious issues years ago in his
back, specifically his lower spine, and needed anti-
inflammatory medication and workouts with a
trainer to return to full strength. He drove in pain
during a winless 2008 season and briefly contem-
plated retirement.
For all his back woes, Gordon said he never felt
the stabbing pain there like he did last weekend.
Gordon said hell make adjustments to his race
weekend routine to keep his back loose to with-
stand hours crunched in a stock car. He needs to
stay active and not sit during lengthy breaks in
practice and qualifying. Gordon sat more than
three hours last week between practice and qualify-
ing, a gap that left he believed led his creaky back
to a breakdown.
Once that happened, there was nothing that was
going to fix it until I had those injections on
Saturday, he said.
Gordon has no standby driver at Dover. He felt
fine on Friday. But once inside the No. 24, all bets
are off.
Its just something I continue to learn and push
through, he said. Its no big deal.
Casey surges, McIlroy
tumbles at the Memorial
Gordon could retire over back woes
The Associated Press
Jeff Gordon looks on Friday during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race, Friday at
Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del.