Chris DiMarco ran away from the field to capture his first career PGA Tour title with a six-stroke victory at the inaugural Pennsylvania Classic on Sunday.
DiMarco, who had been knocking on the door this season with a pair of second-place finishes, made his breakthrough in his 159th PGA Tour event, a win that vaulted him into 16th place on the money list.
"I don't know how many times I've played in a tournament, 150 or whatever, but winning is out there," DiMarco said. "It's the greatest feeling. It is what you hit those extra balls on the range for, what you hit those extra putts for."
A runner-up at the Tucson Open and St. Jude Classic, DiMarco earned £576,000 for his first win, putting him in solid position to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship with £1,477,069 in 2000 prize money.
"Until you win, I don't think you get the utmost respect from the top-notch players," said DiMarco, who took full advantage of the absence of Tiger Woods and many of the Tour's other top players this week.
The 32-year-old DiMarco shot his fourth straight round in the 60s, closing with a two-under-par 69 for a 72-hole total of 14-under 270.
That was six strokes better than the five players who finished tied for second. Scott Hoch had the best round of the day at the Waynesborough Country Club with a six-under 65 that moved him into a share of second with Chris Perry, rookie Brad Elder, Jonathan Kaye and Mark Calcavecchia.
"You know what, they always say the first win is the hardest, and it is," DiMarco said. "And I'm really glad I had a five or four-shot lead playing the last hole."
DiMarco started the day with a three-shot lead and built on it with an eagle at the par-four third hole, where he dropped a nine-iron from 143 yards right into the cup.
"I heard clank and I didn't know if it was over the green and hit somebody or if it went in. And then everybody went crazy," he recalled. "That was pretty awesome. It actually flew right in the hole."
DiMarco gave his pursuers a chance to make a run at him as he bogeyed the fourth, ninth and 11th holes. But he settled down with a birdie on the 12th and pulled away with birdies at the 15th and 18th holes.
"I never got out of my comfort zone," he said. "Even though I made a couple bogeys, I never got out of my comfort zone."
