DiMarco pulls two shots clear

If not for the Ryder Cup, an event Scott Hoch once said was overblown, he doubts he would be in the position he is now.

Hoch was only two strokes out of the lead going into the weekend in the Disney World Golf Classic, his second time in two tournaments since the Ryder Cup that he has been in contention on the PGA Tour.

Two months ago, his game was in such sad shape that he said he didn't want to play in the Ryder Cup, even suggesting he would ask captain Curtis Strange to sit him out.

Instead, he buckled down.

"Even though I said that I probably wasn't as up for it, or didn't hold it in the esteem that many of the other players hold it, I still took it very serious," Hoch said Friday after a 7-under 65 put him in Saturday's final pairing with Chris DiMarco.

"I worked on my game very hard, because you don't want to go there to one of the biggest arenas in golf and then play like a dog. It would be embarrassing."

His effort at The Belfry reflected his career - strong play, not the best results.

Hoch went 0-3-1 in the matches, but played as well as most any American. Just his luck, he kept running into European players who turned in the best round of the day.

"I had a blast over there, other than getting my butt rung out by them beating me so bad," he said. "I got some solace from that, that I did play well. Maybe when I got back here, I wanted to continue playing the same way, and maybe prove to others that I didn't play poorly over there."

He was runner-up at the Michelob Championship two weeks ago, and had as good a chance as anyone heading into the week at Disney World.

Hoch is 39th on the money list, and a strong finish would get him into the Tour Championship and extend an amazing, if not underappreciated, streak in his career.

Only once in the last 20 years has he finished lower than 40th on the money list, and he will finish this year with more than $16 million in career earnings.

Still, Hoch is best remembered for missing a 2-foot par putt in the 1989 Masters during a playoff eventually won by Nick Faldo. He never has won a major.

"When we put all the years together, it's been a pretty good career," Hoch said. "But if you haven't done anything great, you can't feel you've been underrated much. If you don't win a major, and you're not able to hit shots like Tiger every now and then and win tournaments in that fashion, then it's tough.

"I can't dominate or overpower any courses now. That's the type of game that doesn't create a lot of attention."

It doesn't take power to win at Disney, just a good putter.

That's what DiMarco had going for him the first two rounds, with scores of 64-63 to set the 36-hole record at Disney with a 17-under 127.

The previous record, by Steve Flesch in 2000 and Tim Simpson in 1990, was 128.

DiMarco has taken only 44 putts through the first two rounds, and is so confident on the greens that his goal Friday was to simply give himself birdie opportunities. He has made 17 birdies and an eagle going into the weekend.

"If I keep doing what I'm doing, I'm going to be tough to beat," DiMarco said. "I've got my 63 and my 64. I don't necessarily have to shoot two more of those to win."

Maybe he will.

After all, the cut was at 6 under, a record at Disney. Among the casualties was David Duval, who was stunned when he walked out of the scoring trailer and realized his 5-under 139 wouldn't be good enough to return Saturday.

Tiger Woods said he was only joking about needing to break par to make the cut. He was almost a prophet, although a 69 gave him plenty of breathing room. He was at 9-under 135 and eight strokes behind, his largest 36-hole deficit since he was 10 strokes behind at the Memorial in late May.

"I've never seen anything like that before, this many guys going that low," Woods said. "I just heard the cut is 6 under. That's ridiculous."

It could get really crazy on the weekend, especially if Disney continues to get warm and sunny skies, with not much breeze.

The tournament record of 262, last set by Duffy Waldorf two years ago, might be in jeopardy. And the fact Waldorf closed with a 62 that year means several players are still in contention.

Hidemichi Tanaka had a 67 and was three strokes behind at 130, followed by Bob Burns (68) at 131.

As for Hoch, he is in position to become the sixth player 40 or over to win this year. Gone is that talk two months ago about wanting Strange to keep him out of the Ryder Cup.

"Don't you know sometimes I talk just to hear myself talk?" he said with a grin.

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