Chris DiMarco has made a habit of being a bridesmaid.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that he enters the final round in a tie for second place.
Eight times since his last PGA Tour victory, at the 2002 Phoenix Open, he has finished as the runner-up.
Three of those times were to Tiger Woods, including the 2005 Masters (in a playoff) and 2006 British Open.
“If my career ended (today) and I never got to play again, I’d be happy with the way my career was,” DiMarco said. “Obviously, just winning on the PGA Tour is a great thing, and to be consistently up there the last seven, eight years, like I have been, is something.”
DiMarco, whose mother died of a heart attack in July, and Woods, whose father, Earl, died of cancer in May, shared an emotional moment after playing in the final pairing at this year’s British Open.
“We gave each other a hug, and we didn’t need to have any words spoken, it was just kind of felt, what we were both going through,” DiMarco said. “He was very gracious in his (victory) speech including my mom, which I thought was great.
“Not only is he the greatest player in the world, but the way he speaks to people is pretty unbelievable, too. … He always says the right thing.”
DiMarco, who also lost in a playoff to Vijay Singh at the 2004 PGA Championship, said having played on two Ryder Cup teams, in 2004 and ’06, is more important to him than winning a major.
“Playing for your country is the greatest honor there is in the world,” DiMarco said. “We don’t get Olympics … and to be able to be in a team event and strap that U.S. flag somewhere on your person is the greatest feeling you ever have, the proudest feeling, and it makes you really be honored to be part of it.”
