United States
Profile: Chris DiMarco
| Born | Cypress, California |
|---|---|
| age | 37 |
| height | 6ft |
| Turned Pro | 1990 |
| World ranking | 15 |
| Appearances | (1) 2004 |
| Won | Lost | Halved | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singles | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Foursomes | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fourball | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Win Rate | 61% |
Chris DiMarco is arguably the gutsiest performer on Tom Lehman's team. Few play with the passion, 'heart on sleeve' style with which he brings to these team matches. We need look no further than the last President's Cup encounter where he was the American hero after holing a clutch 12-foot putt on the final green to beat Stuart Appleby and secure overall victory.
DiMarco has come of age in recent years and has run very close to winning a major and several other high-profile events. In 2004 he lost out in a three-man playoff to Vijay Singh for the US Open at Whistling Straits and last year he was beaten in the final of the WGC-Accenture World Matchplay by David Toms.
He has also suffered on two major occasions at the hands of Tiger Woods. In the 2005 Masters he pushed the world number one all the way but eventually lost in a play-off. Woods also got the better of the 38-year-old in the WGC - NEC Invitational at Firestone. He managed to win this year's Abu Dhabi Championship on the European Tour.
This summer DiMarco was the only one to emerge from that chasing pack and serve up a genuine challenge to Woods' dominance at The Open. Once again the American came up short but in finishing second he cemented his place in Tom Lehman's side.
It was a welcome return because up to that point he had missed about just as many cuts as he had made and his efforts at Hoylake were spurred by the loss of his mother Norma just before the tournament. With Woods also losing a parent the two main protagonists competed admirably with the weight of emotion all around them.
DiMarco will be easy to spot at the K-Club as he adopts the unorthodox claw putting grip. He will also be the one trying his heart out just as he did in 2004 when his two-and-a-half points from four was one of the few highs in an otherwise flat American showing.
- Paul Gallagher