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DiMarco beats Duval in
playoff
Chris DiMarco experienced
one of the happiest moments of his career Sunday. But he still had to fight back
tears.
DiMarco took advantage of
a rare error by defending champion David Duval on the first hole of a sudden-death
playoff and claimed his second career title at the Buick Challenge.
After matching the lowest
final round of the season on the PGA Tour with a 9-under-par 63, Duval was long
with his approach at the par-4 18th hole and pushed an awkward chip six feet past
the pin.
DiMarco missed a 13-foot
birdie putt but watched as Duval's par attempt burned the left side of the cup,
then hugged his caddy and broke down in tears.
It has been an emotional
season of near-misses for DiMarco, who began the week with a career-high $1.846
million but was unable to break through on a number of occasions.
DiMarco finished third or
better three times in a four-start span this summer. But his inability to win
cost him a spot on the United States Ryder Cup team.
Master of the claw putting
grip, DiMarco earned the $612,000 top prize to move into 11th on the money list
with nearly $2.5 million.
Duval was seeking his second
win this season and second straight at Callaway Gardens Resort, where he shot
a final-round 65 for a two-shot victory last year.
DiMarco and Duval ended
the 72-hole event at 21-under 267. Bob Estes and Neal Lancaster were at 269, with
Davis Love III at 270, Jeff Maggert at 271 and Joel Edwards and Sweden's Per-Ulrik
Johansson at 272.
Other than Duval, Johansson's
brother-in-law, Jesper Parnevik, suffered the biggest disappointment of the day.
He struggled to a 71 and ended up a shot behind Kenny Perry for the final spot
in the Tour Championship.
Perry cracked 70 for the
first time this week, shooting a 66 to tie for 23rd at 279. He will be in the
Tour Championship, which invites the top 30 money winners, for the first time
since 1996.
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