DiMarco on the Mark

Remember Chris DiMarco, the gritty competitor who took Tiger to overtime in the 2005 Masters and also finished second in the following year's British Open? He's been out of the picture for a while, primarily a result of shoulder surgery last September.

But DiMarco is back … or, at least, almost back.

"We're in the right direction, that's for sure," he said following Saturday's 6-under par 64 that put him right in the mix in the Travelers Championship. "The tunnel was black about two months ago, but it's starting to get brighter now."

DiMarco, 39, has yet to finish in the top 10 of a tournament this year, and has finished in the top 25 just once. He's missed nine of 15 cuts. But recently, DiMarco noticed a flaw in his swing, and he's confident he's turned a corner.

"At the top of my swing, I could see my club," he noted. "That's not me. I just tried to, not necessarily (go) three-quarter, but (get) a shorter transition at the top, and it's working. I just tried to shorten it up."

DiMarco made eight birdies but offset that a bit with bogeys on 9 and 10.

"I made good putts on 9 and 10, they both lipped out," he reported. "I lipped out on 11 for birdie from about eight feet, and I missed about a 5, 6-footer on 15 for birdie. It could have been better, but you never complain about a 64."

At 11-under for the tourney, DiMarco figures to be in one of the final groups tomorrow.

"I'm foreseeing 14, 15, 16 under par probably leading by the end of the day," he predicted.

Of course, tomorrow's weather forecast isn't too rosy. With thunderstorms predicted for the afternoon, there's a good chance tee times will be early tomorrow morning. DiMarco doesn't care when he tees off; it won't change his routine tonight.

"(I'll) go eat some lunch, relax, have a couple of beers at night. If they tell me I have a 9:15 a.m. or a 1 p.m., it doesn't matter. It won't change anything, I'll be ready to go, one way or another."

--- DAVID BORGES
dborges@nhregister.com