Battle of Honey Springs

Christian Dean DiMarco (born August 23, 1968) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. DiMarco has won eight tournaments as a pro, including three PGA Tour events.

Early years

Born in Huntington, New York, DiMarco moved to Florida with his family at age seven.[2][3] He attended Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, where he played for the Patriots golf team and began dating his future wife at the age of 17.[3] DiMarco was raised in a sports-oriented family; both of his older brothers were athletes, and his father played college basketball for St. John's University.[3] DiMarco's nephew Patrick DiMarco is a professional football player.

College career

DiMarco accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he played for coach Lynn Blevins and coach Buddy Alexander's Gator golf teams from 1987 to 1990.[4] He shot a three-round score of 209 to win the Southeastern Conference (SEC) individual title in 1989, while leading the Gators to an SEC team championship.[4] He also was a seven-time medalist, a first-team All-SEC selection in 1989 and 1990, the SEC Player of the Year in 1990, and an All-American in 1988, 1989 and 1990.[4][5] DiMarco was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2002.[6][7]

Professional career

DiMarco turned professional in 1990, won the Canadian Tour's Order of Merit as its money leader in 1992,[8] and finished ninth on the second-tier Nike Tour in 1993 to earn his PGA Tour card for 1994.[9] However, he was not always able to maintain his place on the PGA Tour, and he won his first professional tournament on the Nike Tour at the 1997 Nike Ozarks Open.[10] As he moved into his 30s, he continued to improve, capturing his first trophy on the PGA Tour at the 2000 SEI Pennsylvania Classic.[11]

His second PGA Tour victory was the 2001 Buick Challenge, where he sank a 15-foot (4.6 m) birdie on the 18th hole to tie leader David Duval, and then won on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.[12] He won his third PGA Tour event at the 2002 Phoenix Open, which featured an infamous moment—as DiMarco was addressing a pressure putt at TPC Scottsdale's 16th hole, one of the fans yelled "Noonan!" (a reference from the movie Caddyshack).[13] DiMarco maintained his concentration and sank the putt, then pointed at the fan and demanded that a tournament official eject him.[13] By 2004, he had finished in the top twenty on the PGA Tour money list for five straight seasons, and had tied for second in the PGA Championship, losing the title to Vijay Singh in a three-way playoff.[14]

In 2005, DiMarco lost a sudden-death playoff with Tiger Woods to finish second in The Masters.[15][16] The final round pairing of Woods and DiMarco featured a famous chip from Woods which took an incredibly long time to drop into the hole for a birdie on the par three 16th, and stretch his lead to two. The Masters result moved DiMarco into the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings.[15] DiMarco finished as the runner-up in a major for the third time at the 2006 Open Championship at Hoylake; Tiger Woods beating him by two strokes.[17] DiMarco achieved his four-round score of 70-65-69-68 (272, −16) less than three weeks after the death of his mother.[17][18]

Arguably, DiMarco enjoyed his most consistent success from 2002 to 2006, when he was ranked in the top ten of the world rankings for 61 weeks, going as high as number six in the world in 2005.[19] DiMarco was also a member of the U.S. national team in the 2003 and 2005 Presidents Cup,[20][21] and the Ryder Cup competitions in 2004 and 2006.[22][23] DiMarco sank a 15-foot (4.6 m) putt to beat Stuart Appleby and clinch the 2005 Presidents Cup.[24]

In 2007, he disclosed that he was suffering from a chronic shoulder injury,[25] and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder later that year.[26] Notwithstanding the injury, DiMarco still finished among the top 25 in six tournaments and earned more than $950,000 in fewer than nine months in 2007.[26]

DiMarco has not played a full PGA Tour schedule since 2012. He is a frequent contributor to Morning Drive on Golf Channel.

Personal life

DiMarco has known his wife Amy (née Curtis) since the seventh grade,[2] when both attended Rock Lake Middle School in Longwood.[3] Later, both were students at Lake Brantley High School, and attended their high school prom together.[3] They have three children—two daughters and a son.[3] His son, Cristian DiMarco, was a member of the University of South Florida golf team, after transferring from Kentucky.[27] Cristian turned professional in 2018.

DiMarco hosts his own annual charity golf tournament at his local course, Heathrow Country Club in Heathrow, Florida.[28] The "Norma DiMarco Tee Up For Life Golf Tournament" is named in honor of his mother. It raises funds for R.O.C.K (Reaching Out to Cancer Kids), and features celebrities and amateurs.[28] As part of his personal participation in the event, DiMarco plays the 12th hole with every foursome in the tournament.[9]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (8)

PGA Tour wins (3)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Sep 17, 2000 SEI Pennsylvania Classic 68-67-66-69=270 −14 6 strokes United States Mark Calcavecchia, United States Brad Elder,
United States Scott Hoch, United States Jonathan Kaye,
United States Chris Perry
2 Oct 28, 2001 Buick Challenge 67-64-71-65=267 −21 Playoff United States David Duval
3 Jan 27, 2002 Phoenix Open 68-64-66-69=267 −17 1 stroke United States Kenny Perry, Japan Kaname Yokoo

PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2001 Buick Challenge United States David Duval Won with par on first extra hole
2 2004 PGA Championship United States Justin Leonard, Fiji Vijay Singh Singh won three-hole aggregate playoff;
Singh: −1 (3-3-4=10),
DiMarco: x (4-3-x=x),
Leonard: x (4-3-x=x)
3 2005 Masters Tournament United States Tiger Woods Lost to birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Jan 22, 2006 Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 71-67-63-67=268 −20 1 stroke Sweden Henrik Stenson

European Tour playoff record (0–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2004 PGA Championship United States Justin Leonard, Fiji Vijay Singh Singh won three-hole aggregate playoff;
Singh: −1 (3-3-4=10),
DiMarco: x (4-3-x=x),
Leonard: x (4-3-x=x)
2 2005 Masters Tournament United States Tiger Woods Lost to birdie on first extra hole

Nike Tour wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Aug 17, 1997 Nike Ozarks Open 66-70-68=204* −12 1 stroke United States Robin Freeman

*Note: The 1997 Nike Ozarks Open was shortened to 54 holes due to weather.[10]

Nike Tour playoff record (0–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 1993 Nike Yuma Open United States Ron Streck Lost to par on second extra hole

Canadian Tour wins (1)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Aug 18, 1996 Montclair Quebec Open 67-65-65-69=266 −18 1 stroke United States Duane Bock

Other wins (2)

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runners-up
1 Jun 25, 2002 CVS Charity Classic
(with United States Dudley Hart)
60-62=122 −20 Playoff United States Stewart Cink and United States David Toms
2 Jun 28, 2005 CVS Charity Classic (2)
(with United States Fred Funk)
61-62=123 −19 2 strokes United States Brad Faxon and Spain Sergio García,
United States Brett Quigley and United States Dana Quigley

Other playoff record (1–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 2002 CVS Charity Classic
(with United States Dudley Hart)
United States Stewart Cink and United States David Toms Won with birdie on third extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Masters Tournament T10 T12 WD T6 2 CUT CUT
U.S. Open T32 T16 T24 T35 T9 CUT CUT T45
The Open Championship CUT T47 T66 CUT T63 T67 2 T23
PGA Championship T41 T15 T16 T39 56 T2 CUT T12 CUT T31
  Top 10
  Did not play

WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied for place

Summary

Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 1 0 1 3 4 7 4
U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 1 3 8 6
The Open Championship 0 1 0 1 1 2 8 6
PGA Championship 0 1 0 1 1 4 10 8
Totals 0 3 0 3 6 13 33 24
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 9 (2000 PGA – 2002 PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
The Players Championship CUT T46
Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
The Players Championship CUT T55 T36 T21 CUT CUT T54
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Match Play R64 R32 R64 R16 2 R16 R32
Championship T25 NT1 T11 T70 T36 T64 T22 T32
Invitational T28 T33 T6 2 T27 T4

1Cancelled due to 9/11

  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
NT = No Tournament

Results in senior major championships

Tournament 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The Tradition 65 NT T56 T33 T59
Senior PGA Championship CUT NT CUT T29 T31
U.S. Senior Open T6 NT CUT CUT
Senior Players Championship T69 T56 T58 74 T64
Senior British Open Championship T42 NT CUT
  Top 10

"T" indicates a tie for a place
CUT = missed the halfway cut
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

U.S. national team appearances

Professional

See also

References

  1. ^ "Week 19 2005 Ending 8 May 2005" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Maisel, Ivan (June 10, 2002). "One of a kind". Sports Illustrated. p. G41, Golf Plus.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Bill Ernst, "Chris DiMarco: Seminole County's champion Archived October 9, 2011, at the Wayback Machine," Seminole Magazine (Undated 2004). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c Florida Men's Golf 2011 Media Supplement Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 28, 34, 35, 41 (2010). Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  5. ^ 2008–09 Florida Gators Men's Golf Media Guide Archived 2012-03-22 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, p. 36 (2008). Retrieved July 14, 2011.
  6. ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  7. ^ "Nine Former Gators Named to UF Hall of Fame Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine," GatorZone.com (April 5, 2002). Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  8. ^ "Who To Watch," York Daily Record (June 30, 1993).
  9. ^ a b Laury Livsey, "DiMarco reaches out with Tee Up for Life event Archived October 15, 2012, at the Wayback Machine," PGATour.com (November 2, 2009). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  10. ^ a b "DiMarco claims Ozarks win". Gainesville Sun. Florida. Associated Press. August 18, 1997. p. 3C.
  11. ^ Joe Logan, "Skipped practices making perfect," Philadelphia Inquirer (September 11, 2002). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  12. ^ Associated Press, "DiMarco works overtime to top Duval," Chicago Sun-Times, p. 79 (October 29, 2001).
  13. ^ a b Clifton Brown, "Golf; An Unflappable DiMarco Turns Around a Brief Retreat," The New York Times (January 28, 2002). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  14. ^ Leonard Shapiro, "For Singh, a Most Pleasant Surprise," The Washington Post, p. D1 (August 16, 2004). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  15. ^ a b Damon Hack, "DiMarco Comes Close in Another Major," The New York Times (April 29, 2005). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  16. ^ Jerry Potter, "DiMarco recovers, fights to the end," USA Today (April 19, 2005). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  17. ^ a b Damon Hack, "Count Woods Among the Admirers of DiMarco," The New York Times (August 3, 2006). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  18. ^ PGA.com, The Open Championship, Chris DiMarco 2006 Scorecard. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  19. ^ Official World Golf Rankings, Archive, 69 Players Who Have Reached The Top-10 In World Ranking Archived 2015-10-17 at the Wayback Machine." Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  20. ^ Associated Press, "Heroes and goats overlooked in the chaos," ESPN.com (November 25, 2003). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  21. ^ Alan Shipnuck, "United Mates," Sports Illustrated (December 26, 2005). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  22. ^ Jim McCabe, "Americans dominated by Europe's brilliance," Boston Globe (September 20, 2004). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  23. ^ Bob Harig, "The U.S. could win more if its best played better," ESPN.com (September 26, 2006). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  24. ^ Damon Hack, "Presidents Cup: DiMarco shines his 'moment'," San Francisco Chronicle (September 26, 2005). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  25. ^ Associated Press, "Chris DiMarco[permanent dead link]," First Coast News (May 11, 2007). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  26. ^ a b "DiMarco undergoes surgery on left shoulder," ESPN.com (September 12, 2007). Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  27. ^ "Cristian DiMarco profile". USF Bulls. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  28. ^ a b "Norma DiMarco Tee Up for Life Charity Golf Tournament Raises More than $330,000," GolfOrlandoFlorida.com (November 13, 2009). Retrieved July 16, 2011.

External links