DiMarco hopes he's learned from the past
Updated: April 9, 2005, 11:32 PM ET
By Bob Harig | Special to ESPN.com
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- There was a time just a few years ago that Chris DiMarco's putting was so bad, he considered giving up the game.
It wasn't until he discovered the "claw" grip that he could finally be at peace on the greens.
AP Photo/David J. PhillipWill the "claw" grip be DiMarco's secret to clinching his first major championship on Sunday?
Now, with 27 of the world's most treacherous putting surfaces to traverse on Sunday, that stroke will be put to the ultimate test under the pressure of trying to win a major championship.
DiMarco, 36, is four strokes ahead of Tiger Woodswith 27 holes to play at The Masters. Such a lead can be gone in a heartbeat, but DiMarco has been steady through 45 holes of stopping and starting at the weather-plagued event and hasn't made a bogey since the first hole of the tournament.
Although he has the game's most marquee player chasing him, this will be more about what DiMarco does than anyone else. As Greg Norman learned nine years ago, if you simply take care of business, nobody can catch you. But one little slip, and a player such as Woods will pounce.
"Going out and trying to hold onto a lead isn't going to do it," DiMarco said. "Go out and step on it. That's what Ernie [Els] did last year, and that's why he almost won and that's why Phil [Mickelson] won on the back nine. That's what you have to do around here.
"If you look in the years past, you watch the guys who won, they won on the back. Somebody came from behind to win the tournament, or if they were ahead, they shot a good number on the back nine."
DiMarco had a front-row seat to history last year, and that should be a boon to him Sunday.
He played with Mickelson in the final pairing and saw how it was done. While DiMarco was shooting 76 to fall out of contention, Mickelson was firing at pins, having fun and making birdies. It turned into one of the most popular Masters of all time, and DiMarco had a first-hand look.
Trouble is, DiMarco doesn't have nearly the résumé of Mickelson. It is surprising to see just three PGA Tour victories by his name, none since 2002. He was the best American player at the Ryder Cup last year, but when he had a chance to win the PGA Championship in August, he missed a 15-foot par putt in regulation that would have brought him the hardware, then fell to Vijay Singh in a playoff.
DiMarco is ranked 15th in the world but is afflicted by the same malady that hurts many U.S. players: He doesn't win enough.
"It's up to me," said DiMarco, who did not make a bogey in 26 holes of golf Saturday. "I have to go out and control myself and stay focused and control my nerves and try to do what I'm doing. I'm going to try to slow myself down on the greens, slow myself down walking in the fairway and make sure I'm ready to hit every shot and try and hit shots really solid."
It won't be easy if Woods works his way into the final pairing -- which is how it would be if he remains in second place.
But DiMarco can take solace in the fact that Woods has never come from behind to win any of his eight major championships.
"I've just got to set myself up," said Woods, who played beautifully Saturday, shooting a 66 in his conclusion to the second round, the best score of the tournament. He then shot 31 on the front nine of the third round, including three straight birdies at the end.
"We've got a long way to go. We've got 27 holes to go. It's a long, patient day, and I've just got to continue being patient, plod your way around. We're obviously going to have some time between rounds, get focused, get something to eat and off you go again."
The good news for DiMarco is he's made it difficult for many others to catch him. Denmark's Thomas Bjorn is five strokes back, while Singh is nine behind and Mickelson must make up 10 strokes.
"I can only say that if Chris keeps playing the way he is he's going to be very difficult to catch, because it's fine golf," said Bjorn, who is paired with DiMarco in the third round.
Will that fine golf last for 27 more holes?
Bob Harig covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times and is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at harig@sptimes.com.
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