DiMarco Shoots a 69 to Keep Two-Stroke Lead

Chris DiMarco might not be playing golf for a living if not for Skip Kendall, who taught him the “claw” putting grip and rescued his career.

DiMarco has gone on to win three times on the PGA Tour.

Kendall is 0 for 260.

They will be in the final pairing today in the Disney World Golf Classic at Lake Buena Vista, Fla., after DiMarco shot a three-under-par 69 in the third round Saturday to maintain his two-stroke lead.

It seems like an appropriate time for DiMarco to repay the favor.

Forget it.

“My job tomorrow is to not give it to him,” said DiMarco, who is at 20-under 196. “If he goes out and beats me, I’d probably feel just as happy as if I won. If I play good and somebody beats me, that’s fine. And if it’s Skip, it’s even better.”

Kendall put himself in position to become the 16th first-time winner on the tour this year by making birdies on eight of his first 13 holes and finishing with a 66.

Despite his only bogey on the final hole, Scott Hoch had a 69 and also was two strokes back at 198, along with Bob Burns (67).

Tiger Woods, despite a pedestrian 67 on another easy day for scoring on the Magnolia course, gave himself 17 birdie chances and was among 19 players within six strokes of the lead.

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Dana Quigley shot a bogey-free seven-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Argentina’s Vicente Fernandez after the second round of the SBC Championship at San Antonio.

Quigley is at 10-under 132 on the Oak Hills Country Club course. Fernandez shot a 67.

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Sergio Garcia set up a title match against Ernie Els in the World Match Play Championship at Virginia Water, England, recording an eagle on the 35th hole to beat Michael Campbell, 2 and 1.

Els, the British Open champion, beat Vijay Singh, 3 and 2.

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Tennis

Defending champion Lindsay Davenport angered Justine Henin, then defeated her, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5), to reach the Swisscom Challenge final at Zurich, Switzerland.

Davenport will play Patty Schnyder, who advanced by beating Conchita Martinez, 6-0, 6-3, for the title.

Henin accused Davenport of exaggerating a right ankle injury.

“She was taking it too far. I was injured too, with a sore shoulder, but I didn’t make a song and dance of it,” Henin said.

Davenport said she would have retired if the match had gone to a third set.

“I wasn’t playing it up. I would have been going home to the World Series if I’d lost,” said Davenport, who lives in Laguna Beach. “It’s not a tactic after winning the first set.”

That is when Davenport called timeout to have the ankle treated, and she often limped during the second set. With Henin ahead, 4-1, in the second, Davenport again asked for the trainer.

The momentum shifted after that, with Davenport winning three consecutive games.

Andre Agassi defeated Sebastien Grosjean, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Madrid Masters.

The seven-time Grand Slam tournament champion and former No. 1 broke Grosjean to end the match.

Agassi will play 11th-seeded Jiri Novak in today’s final. Novak beat Fabrice Santoro, 6-2, 6-4, in the other semifinal.

Iveta Benesova defeated top-seeded Nathalie Dechy, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, and Maja Matevzic won the last 12 games and beat third-seeded Rita Grande, 0-6, 6-2, 6-0, in the semifinals of the VUB Open at Bratislava, Slovakia. Grande was the defending champion.

Michael Chang lost to Bjorn Rehnquist, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, and Robby Ginepri defeated Michael Russell, 6-3, 6-4, in the semifinals of the USTA Challenger of Burbank.

Wimbledon men’s champion Lleyton Hewitt accepted a wild-card entry for the Stockholm Open and will play three-time winner Thomas Enqvist in the first round. Hewitt left the Madrid Masters because of a virus.

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T.J. Simers’ column can be found on Page U2 in the World Series special section.