Chris DiMarco
FullnameChristian Dean DiMarco
Birth dateAugust 23, 1968 (age 58)
Birth placeHuntington, New York, U.S.
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
ResidenceDenver, Colorado, U.S.
SpouseAmy Curtis DiMarco (m. 1991)
CollegeFlorida
Yearpro1990
TourPGA Tour Champions
ExtourPGA Tour
Web.com Tour
Canadian Tour
Prowins8
Pgawins3
Eurowins1
Nwidewins1
Otherwins3
Masters2nd: 2005
UsopenT9: 2004
Open2nd: 2006
PgaT2: 2004
Award 1Canadian Tour
Order of Merit winner
Year 11992

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 life

Born in Huntington, New York, DiMarco moved to Florida with his family at age seven.[1][2] 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.[2] 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.[2] DiMarco's nephew Patrick DiMarco is a professional football player.

Amateur 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.[3] 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.[3] 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.[3][4]

Professional career

DiMarco turned professional in 1990, won the Canadian Tour's Order of Merit as its money leader in 1992,[5] and finished ninth on the second-tier Nike Tour in 1993 to earn his PGA Tour card for 1994.[6] 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.[7] As he moved into his 30s, he continued to improve, capturing his first trophy on the PGA Tour at the 2000 SEI Pennsylvania Classic.[8]

His second PGA Tour victory was the 2001 Buick Challenge, where he sank a 15-foot (4.6-metre) birdie on the 18th hole to tie leader David Duval, and then won on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.[9] 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).[10] DiMarco maintained his concentration and sank the putt, then pointed at the fan and demanded that a tournament official eject him.[10] 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.[11]

In 2005, DiMarco lost a sudden-death playoff with Tiger Woods to finish second in The Masters.[12][13] 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.[12] 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.[14] DiMarco achieved his four-round score of 70-65-69-68 (272, −16) less than three weeks after the death of his mother.[14][15]

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.[16] DiMarco was also a member of the U.S. national team in the 2003 and 2005 Presidents Cup,[17][18] and the Ryder Cup competitions in 2004 and 2006.[19][20] DiMarco sank a 15-foot (4.6-metre) putt to beat Stuart Appleby and clinch the 2005 Presidents Cup.[21]

In 2007, he disclosed that he was suffering from a chronic shoulder injury,[22] and underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder later that year.[23] 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.[23]

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,[1] when both attended Rock Lake Middle School in Longwood.[2] Later, both were students at Lake Brantley High School, and attended their high school prom together.[2] They have three children—two daughters and a son.[2] His son, Cristian DiMarco, was a member of the University of South Florida golf team, after transferring from Kentucky.[24] Cristian turned professional in 2018.

DiMarco hosts his own annual charity golf tournament at his local course, Heathrow Country Club in Heathrow, Florida.[25] 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.[25] As part of his personal participation in the event, DiMarco plays the 12th hole with every foursome in the tournament.[6]

Awards and honors

DiMarco was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2002.[26][27]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (8)

PGA Tour wins (3)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-up
1Sep 17, 2000SEI Pennsylvania Classic68-67-66-69=270−146 strokesMark Calcavecchia, Brad Elder,
Scott Hoch, Jonathan Kaye,
Chris Perry
2Oct 28, 2001Buick Challenge67-64-71-65=267−21PlayoffDavid Duval
3Jan 27, 2002Phoenix Open68-64-66-69=267−171 strokeKenny Perry, Kaname Yokoo

PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
12001Buick ChallengeDavid DuvalWon with par on first extra hole
22004PGA ChampionshipJustin Leonard, Vijay SinghSingh won three-hole aggregate playoff;
Singh: −1 (3-3-4=10),
DiMarco: x (4-3-x=x),
Leonard: x (4-3-x=x)
32005Masters TournamentTiger WoodsLost to birdie on first extra hole

European Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1Jan 22, 2006Abu Dhabi Golf Championship71-67-63-67=268−201 strokeHenrik Stenson

European Tour playoff record (0–2)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
12004PGA ChampionshipJustin Leonard, Vijay SinghSingh won three-hole aggregate playoff;
Singh: −1 (3-3-4=10),
DiMarco: x (4-3-x=x),
Leonard: x (4-3-x=x)
22005Masters TournamentTiger WoodsLost to birdie on first extra hole

Nike Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1Aug 17, 1997Nike Ozarks Open66-70-68=204[a]−121 strokeRobin Freeman

Nike Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11993Nike Yuma OpenRon StreckLost to par on second extra hole

Canadian Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1Aug 18, 1996Montclair Quebec Open67-65-65-69=266−181 strokeDuane Bock

Other wins (2)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runners-up
1Jun 25, 2002CVS Charity Classic
(with Dudley Hart)		60-62=122−20PlayoffStewart Cink and David Toms
2Jun 28, 2005CVS Charity Classic (2)
(with Fred Funk)		61-62=123−192 strokesBrad Faxon and Sergio García,
Brett Quigley and Dana Quigley

Other playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
12002CVS Charity Classic
(with Dudley Hart)		Stewart Cink and David TomsWon with birdie on third extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament19981999200020012002200320042005200620072008
Masters TournamentT10T12WDT62CUTCUT
U.S. OpenT32T16T24T35T9CUTCUTT45
The Open ChampionshipCUTT47T66CUTT63T672T23
PGA ChampionshipT41T15T16T3956T2CUTT12CUTT31

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

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament01013474
U.S. Open00001386
The Open Championship01011286
PGA Championship010114108
Totals03036133324
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 9 (2000 PGA – 2002 PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament19951996199719981999
The Players ChampionshipCUTT46
Tournament200020012002200320042005200620072008
The Players ChampionshipCUTT55T36T21CUTCUTT54

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

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament20002001200220032004200520062007
Match PlayR64R32R64R162R16R32
ChampionshipT25NT1T11T70T36T64T22T32
InvitationalT28T33T62T27T4

1Cancelled due to 9/11

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

Results in senior major championships

Results not in chronological order

Tournament20192020202120222023202420252026
Senior PGA ChampionshipCUTNTCUTT29T31T6CUTCUT
The Tradition65NTT56T33T59T44T573
U.S. Senior OpenT6NTCUTCUTCUT
Senior Players ChampionshipT69T56T5874T64T33T63
Senior British Open ChampionshipT42NTCUTCUT

"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

Notes

  1. ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

References

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