Hoylake, England – There is little question Tiger Woods will be the favorite entering today’s final round of the British Open. One reason why Woods is the No. 1 player is the world is because he is golf’s best closer – a perfect 10-for-10 when holding or sharing the third-round lead in a major championship.
So, after a grinding 1-under-par 71 on Saturday once again left him looking down upon everyone else at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, it’s entirely understandable if the inclination is to have the engraver begin etching Woods’ name onto the Claret Jug for a second straight year. This despite a dynamite group of pursuers that includes Sergio Garcia, Chris DiMarco, Ernie Els and Jim Furyk, all within two shots of the lead.
But sport is full of instances in which an overwhelming favorite did not win, cases when someone else had luck or fate on their side. Or, as DiMarco called it, “divine intervention.”
“My mom’s name is Norma,” DiMarco said of his mother, who died after suffering a heart attack July 4 while on vacation in Colorado. “When I got on the first tee, the scorer’s name was Norma. I’ve probably met about five Normas in my life.
“I got goose bumps. I told my caddie, ‘She’s right there with us, I know she is. I’ve got somebody up there that’s going to be looking over me (today).”‘
Entering the Open, DiMarco was in the midst of perhaps the worst stretch of his career, having missed the cut in seven of his previous 12 events, including the Masters and U.S. Open. Of the five tournaments in which he did play the weekend, only once did he finish better than a tie for 42nd.
Combine that with the fact that he’d never finished better than a tie for 47th in six previous British Opens, and you’d have little indication of a successful week. However, DiMarco shot a 2-under 70 on Thursday, then followed with a 65 on Friday, matching the course record.
Saturday, DiMarco backed that up with a 69, rallying from a bogey on the 198-yard, par-3 ninth with birdies on the 11th, 12th, 13th and 16th holes. Upon emerging from the scorer’s trailer, he embraced his father, Rich, in a huge bear hug.
“Her presence is here. It’s just unbelievable,” Rich DiMarco said.
Rich and Norma DiMarco went to Colorado for a three-week vacation, planning on playing golf and doing some whitewater rafting. After checking into a rental condo in Keystone, Norma went upstairs while Rich brought in the luggage.
“I heard a noise like a grunt,” he said. “I ran in and she was on her back, not breathing. I knew there was something terribly wrong. We called 911 and they were there in eight minutes. I tried doing CPR on her, but she was gone.
“It’s surreal. In an instant, my life changed. I went from the happiest guy on earth with a beautiful wife and family, to a really lonely guy. I don’t know what I’m gonna do without her. She was my whole life.
“Thank God Chris brought me here to try and take my mind off of it, and the way he’s played here. I’m a man of faith, and I firmly believe she’s here this week, looking down and saying, ‘Son, do your thing, I’m behind you.”‘
Staff writer Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-820-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
Leaderboard
Tiger Woods 67-65-71 – 203
Sergio Garcia 68-71-65 – 204
Chris DiMarco 70-65-69 – 204
Ernie Els 68-65-71 – 204
Jim Furyk 68-71-66 – 205
Angel Cabrera 71-68-66 – 205
(TV: Final-round coverage begins at 6 a.m. today on KMGH-7.)
