Chris DiMarco contending at senior major as son makes first Korn Ferry Tour cut

USA Today

17-05-2025

Chris DiMarco contending at senior major as son makes first Korn Ferry Tour cut
Pro golf's "other" major is heading to the the weekend, just like the PGA Championship. The over-50 set is competing in the Regions Tradition in Birmingham, Alabama, at Greystone Golf & Country Club.
But there's a third professional golf tournament going this weekend, the Korn Ferry Tour's AdventHealth Championship at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City. And that's the other one that Chris DiMarco, tied for third at the Regions, is trying to keep an eye on because that's where his son Christian is competing.
"My son actually qualified for his first Korn Ferry event in Kansas City, so my wife and I are kind of watching his front nine and he was right down to the wire, he was even par. I'm on 18, I've got about a six-footer for birdie after playing really good on the back. I think I birdied five or six holes on the back with a little eight-footer, and my wife goes, 'He made birdie to make the cut!'," said DiMarco. "So obviously I was like pretty pumped. Motivation, you know. Obviously so proud of my son and proud of myself today. I hung in there today."
DiMarco did more than hang in there. He opened with a bogey but made six birdies over his next eight holes and signed for a 65, the low round of the day.
As for Christian DiMarco, he closed with a birdie to shoot a 1-under 71. He's at 1 under overall and made the cut by two. He is, however, 12 shots back of the lead.
Who leads the 2025 Regions Tradition?
Richard Green followed up his first-round 63 with a second-round 68 to take a one-shot lead over Steven Alker in the senior major. Former PGA champ Y.E. Yang is in a group of three golfers tied for third at 9 under along with Chris DiMarco and Alex Cejka.
Green has made 63 starts on the senior circuit and is still seeking his first win. He has six runner-up finishes.
"Good golf's been brewing for a little while so it was nice to be hitting good iron shots and setting up putting opportunities," Green said. "If I can keep doing that through the weekend I'll be happy."
Alker has nine senior wins including a major. He won in March in Tucson at the Cologuard Classic, one of the many 54-hole events on the PGA Tour Champions. Is it different preparing for a 72-hole event?
"It's just one more day. I think mentally you've got to go in thinking there's going to be one day that's just not quite right. You've just got to battle through it, scrap it out," he said. "If it's two scrappy days, then scrap it out even more. I think that's the difference. Three days, you've just got to keep the pedal down and keep going, but yeah, felt like kind of one of those scrappy days."