Chris DiMarco

Chris DiMarco
DiMarco at the 2006 Open Championship
Personal information
Full name	Christian Dean DiMarco
Born	(1968-08-23) August 23, 1968 (age 56) Huntington, New York, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Residence	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Spouse	Amy Curtis DiMarco ​ (m. 1991)​
Children	3
Career
College	Florida
Turned professional	1990
Current tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour Web.com Tour Canadian Tour
Professional wins	8
Highest ranking	6 (May 8, 2005) [1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	3
European Tour	1
Korn Ferry Tour	1
Other	3
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament	2nd: 2005
PGA Championship	T2: 2004
U.S. Open	T9: 2004
The Open Championship	2nd: 2006
Achievements and awards
Canadian Tour Order of Merit winner 1992

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

• 1988 Monroe Invitational, Western Amateur

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	Mark Calcavecchia, Brad Elder, Scott Hoch, Jonathan Kaye, Chris Perry
2	Oct 28, 2001	Buick Challenge	67-64-71-65=267	−21	Playoff	David Duval
3	Jan 27, 2002	Phoenix Open	68-64-66-69=267	−17	1 stroke	Kenny Perry, Kaname Yokoo

PGA Tour playoff record (1–2)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	2001	Buick Challenge	David Duval	Won with par on first extra hole
2	2004	PGA Championship	Justin Leonard, 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	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	Henrik Stenson

European Tour playoff record (0–2)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	2004	PGA Championship	Justin Leonard, 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	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	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	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	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 Dudley Hart)	60-62=122	−20	Playoff	Stewart Cink and David Toms
2	Jun 28, 2005	CVS Charity Classic (2) (with Fred Funk)	61-62=123	−19	2 strokes	Brad Faxon and Sergio García, Brett Quigley and Dana Quigley

Other playoff record (1–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponents	Result
1	2002	CVS Charity Classic (with Dudley Hart)	Stewart Cink and 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	2024
The Tradition	65	NT	T56	T33	T59	T44
Senior PGA Championship	CUT	NT	CUT	T29	T31	T6
U.S. Senior Open	T6	NT	CUT	CUT
Senior Players Championship	T69	T56	T58	74	T64	T33
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

• Presidents Cup: 2003 (tie), 2005 (winners)
• Ryder Cup: 2004, 2006
• Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge (representing PGA Tour): 2007

See also

• Biography portal

• 1993 Nike Tour graduates
• 1997 Nike Tour graduates
• List of American Ryder Cup golfers
• List of Florida Gators men's golfers on the PGA Tour
• List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members

References

1. "Week 19 2005 Ending 8 May 2005" (pdf). OWGR . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
2. Maisel, Ivan (June 10, 2002). "One of a kind". Sports Illustrated. p. G41, Golf Plus.
3. 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. 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. 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. "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. 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. 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. 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. "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. "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

• Official website
• Chris DiMarco at the PGA Tour official site
• Chris DiMarco at the European Tour official site
• Chris DiMarco at the Official World Golf Ranking official site
• Tee Up For Life Golf Tournament – Official webpage for DiMarco's annual charity tournament.
• Golf Channel – Chris DiMarco