With the Pressure Off, DiMarco Shoots a 66

Chris DiMarco finally got a chance to play some golf without all the pressure, and it was so much fun he finished on top of the leaderboard Thursday in the B.C. Open at Endicott, N.Y.

DiMarco, who has never won a PGA event, shot a six-under-par 66, one stroke better than Brian Kamm, Doug Barron and Chris Perry, who also have never won on tour. They were one shot ahead of Phil Tataurangi, Sandy Lyle and Peter Jacobsen.

Mark Pfeil, Mike Hulbert and Bruce Fleisher were among a 12 players at 69. Defending champion Gabriel Hjerstedt of Sweden finished at 73.

DiMarco was coming off a ninth-place finish last week in the Canadian Open that vaulted him into the top 125 on the money list and, with only six tournaments remaining, probably secured his PGA card for 1999.

“Last week really helped,” said DiMarco, who birdied No. 15 to go to seven-under, then gave the shot right back on the next hole. “Today, a lot of the pressure of the whole year is off. I just went out and played. It was nice to go out and just relax.”

*

Hall of Famer Betsy King leads a 12-player United States team in the Solheim Cup against Europe in the women’s version of the Ryder Cup at Dublin, Ohio.

King, Dottie Pepper and Brandie Burton anchor the U.S. team, while two-time LPGA Player of the Year and current money leader Annika Sorenstam, fellow Swede Liselotte Neumann and Laura Davies of Britain lead the European squad in the three-day, 28-match competition, which begins today.

*

Stephen Allan of Australia, Derrick Cooper of England, Eamonn Darcy of Ireland, Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Greg Turner of New Zealand shot four-under 67s to share the first-round lead in the Lancome Trophy at Saint-Nom-La-Breteche, France.

Ian Woosnam of Wales headed a group of five others at 68. American David Duval, looking for his first European victory, shot 69. Defending champion Mark O’Meara was at 70.

*

Bill Shean Jr. of Hinsdale, Ill., won the U.S. Men’s Senior Amateur Championship, beating William King of Jupiter, Fla., 5 and 3, at Glencoe, Ill. In the semifinals, Shean beat Gunnar Bennett of Surfside, Fla., 3 and 1, and King defeated Dan Pierre of Palatine, Ill., on the 19th hole.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

In Front

Results through Thursday’s play (Complete scores, C14):

$1.5-MILLION B.C. OPEN-Par 72

Chris DiMarco: 33-33--66 -6

Brian Kamm: 32-35--67 -5

Doug Barron: 33-34--67 -5

Chris Perry: 33-34--67 -5

Phil Tataurangi: 33-35--68 -4

Peter Jacobsen: 38-30--68 -4

Sandy Lyle: 35-33--68 -4