DiMarco still tops Masters

By Mike Lopresti
Gannett News Service

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Now the game is afoot at Augusta. Masters weekend has arrived, with an implacable surprise package named Chris DiMarco still in front — and Tiger Woods in his rearview mirror, driving toward history.

Tiger Woods, above, has charged to within two shots of Masters leader Chris DiMarco, below. Associated Press photos

But there is a blue-ribbon stampede at his flank. Woods, storming into contention for a mind-boggling fourth straight major with a 6-under-66, is two shots back, along with Phil Mickelson. And in a bottleneck of five names big and small at three shots behind are David Duval, Lee Janzen, Steve Stricker, Angel Cabrera and Toshi Izawa.

"Eight-under par, you can't complain," said Woods, who finished with two birdies and has yet to have his putter warm up, and is tied for 55th on the greens in this tournament. "I'm right in the ballgame."

These are ominous words for the rest of the field. Perhaps most of all for DiMarco, who has won one PGA Tour event in his career, and who will be paired with Woods for the first time ever in a tournament round today.

Woods ... Duval ... Chris DiMarco? He was asked on his special day if he belonged.

"I guess I do this week," DiMarco said.

"Sure. Why not? Before Woods and Duval were Woods and Duval, they had to get there somehow. Maybe this is my week to get there."

Augusta has been timid. The softest in 10 years, said Arnold Palmer, who missed the cut anyway, along with Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus, the latter for only the second time in 34 years. Forty-one golfers broke par yesterday.

But the winds are expected to pick up over the weekend, the greens are expected to quicken, nerves will soon come into play.

Woods can't wait.

"I've won majors and I've lost majors," he said. "But more than anything, I've been there before. I know how to control my emotions, and I know what to expect, what to feel.

"If you haven't been there, it's tough.

Obviously (DiMarco) is playing great. My hat's off to him."

With attention beyond his wildest dreams, DiMarco never wavered yesterday after a bad drive led to a bogey on No. 1.

He answered with birdies the next two holes. There would be no more bogeys. No thought of fading.

"I've got a lot of family here. They all believe in me. I believe in me," he said. "I've just got to prove to everybody here to believe in me. That's my goal the next two days."

He will have to do it eyeball to eyeball with Woods today.

"The bottom line is he's got to play the course, too," DiMarco said. "He's got a lot going this week, also.

"He is just all business. I'm going to try to do the same thing tomorrow. I don't think there'll be much chit-chat going on out there, I can promise you that."

Woods, whose 70-66 start is identical to how he began his record-setting Masters rampage in 1997, is not the only threat. Just the most intimidating one.

There is Mickelson, showing ever more maturity, shaking off a double bogey yesterday when he hit into the creek on No. 12 to charge back with three late birdies, and a 12-foot putt to save par on No. 18.

There is Duval, in contention after a 66, even though he has not played competitively for a month because of tendinitis in his wrist.

"I'm not surprised at all," he said. "I guess I didn't know what to expect. At the same time, I knew my golf game was where it needed to be ... so basically I just had to go out there and get out of my own way.

"I came here with every intention of winning the golf tournament. And I still have that."

There is Janzen, a two-time U.S. Open champion, who started yesterday's round with 11 straight pars. And Stricker, who uses wife Nicki for a caddie and is battling his way out of a year-long slump.

There is Cabrera, the former caddie from Argentina. And Izawa, all 5-foot-7 of him, from Japan.

Among those only four shots back is two-time champion Jose Maria Olazabal. Defending champion Vijay Singh is six behind.

They all ponder the weekend, wondering how much harder the course will get, the inexperienced unsure what their nerves will be like.

"If you ask me tomorrow," Cabrera said, "I'll let you know."

Woods said it is too early to pay close attention to the leader board.

"Not on Friday, or Saturday. There is so much more golf to be played before there is a jockeying for position coming down the stretch. We have so many more shots to play before that happens."

But his shots will among the most important. Everyone watches Woods. Today, DiMarco will be up close, a Masters leader suddenly in the golf fight of his life.