Chris DiMarco’s late mother, Norma, was an eternal optimist. DiMarco recalled that when he first started to play on the PGA Tour, she booked all his travel.
“She always had me have a Saturday night stay because she was so optimistic I was going to make the cut,” DiMarco said. “And on Friday night I said, `Why did you do that? I want to go home.’ That was just her being optimistic.”
On a day when Tiger Woods looked as if he is in full sprint toward a third British Open title, DiMarco borrowed a page from his mother’s book. Optimism, it seems, runs in the family.
“He is tough to beat, bottom line,” DiMarco said. “But it has been done and it’s doable.”
Woods set the pace Friday, shooting a 7-under 65 to take the second-round lead at Royal Liverpool. At 12-under-par 132, he has a one-shot edge over Ernie Els (65 Friday). DiMarco is three back after a round of 65 moved him to 9 under.
Woods and Els will play in the last pairing Saturday, and DiMarco will be right in front of them. The potential is there for a memorable weekend.
DiMarco and Woods have a connection that goes beyond the leaderboard. Like Woods, who still is mourning the death of his father, Earl, DiMarco is dealing with the loss of a parent.
Norma died of a heart attack on July 4 at 68. DiMarco was at the Western Open when he heard the news and immediately withdrew.
“I wish I could see him and just talk a little bit,” Woods said. “If anybody knows, it’s probably me because I just went through it myself.”
It has been a difficult time for DiMarco. He described his mother as someone everyone liked.
Norma was a big part of DiMarco’s early years as a golfer. She traveled with him when he was an amateur.
“Once I wasn’t going to play. I was ready to come home,” DiMarco recalled. “She said, `I’ll come out.’ She walked 36 holes, and I won the tournament.”
People deal with grief in different ways. Woods took an extended break after his father died in May. DiMarco decided he needed to get back inside the ropes. He knows that is what his mother would have wanted.
“She would be absolutely [ticked] off if I didn’t play,” DiMarco said. “She certainly wouldn’t want me to sit home. What would I do at home?”
DiMarco insisted his father, Rich, join him this week. He called his round “therapeutic” for both of them. He needed a round like this. DiMarco had been struggling since suffering a rib injury during a ski trip in March.
DiMarco said he felt his mother’s presence, saying he has “a great peace about me this week. Usually when she comes to a tournament like this, she can’t see much, but I know she has the best seat in the house right now.”
Norma saw quite an exhibition, not only from her son but also from Woods. Woods made the shot of the day, draining a 4-iron for an eagle on the par-4 14th. Woods never saw the ball fall in the cup but got an inkling something good had happened when the crowd exploded in cheers.
Woods is overpowering the course without using all of his firepower. He is mainly using his 2-iron off the tees, going to a 3-wood when he needs extra distance. Playing partner Nick Faldo joked, “Since you’re not using your driver, could (Faldo’s son) Matthew have it?”
Bad omen time for the rest of the field. Woods said he might be hitting his irons nearly as well as he did during the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2000. He won that tournament by 15 strokes.
“I really felt like I controlled my flight,” Woods said. “If you look at most of my shots, they were around pin-high. It’s easy to do when it’s plugging up there [on U.S. courses]. It’s not easy to do on a links course.”
Woods definitely is a threat to break his British Open record of 19 under, set at St. Andrews in 2000. If the conditions remain calm, he could post a number normally seen at the Bob Hope.
Nobody is tougher with the lead. Woods has won 23 times in 29 attempts after holding the second-round lead, an astounding 79 percent. Even better, he is 6-for-6 in majors with the 36-hole lead.
Els doesn’t have to be told. He knows what it’s like to finish second to Woods in a major. DiMarco does too; he lost to Woods in a playoff at the Masters in 2005.
But with 36 holes left, it’s hardly the time to make concessions. Besides, DiMarco’s mother probably wouldn’t hear of it.
“Tiger at his best is hard to beat,” DiMarco said. “Tiger at a course he likes at his best is really hard to beat. I can’t expect to go out there and shoot 70, 70 the next two days and do it. I’m going to have to put another low round out there. It’s accessible. You can go out there and do it.”
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esherman@tribune.com
