When Chris DiMarco arrived for the first Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January 2006, he wasn't just another name in the field. The Florida native was at the height of his powers, a Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup player, a three-time PGA Tour winner, and one of the fiercest competitors on golf's biggest stages.

In the two seasons before that week, DiMarco had been runner-up in two Major Championships, the 2004 PGA Championship and the 2005 Masters, both after playoff heartbreaks, and another near-miss at The Open loomed later that same year when Tiger Woods edged him out at Royal Liverpool.

When the invitation came to play a new event in a part of the world most American players knew little about, DiMarco didn't hesitate.“At the time I was playing my best golf, and you want to be known as a worldwide player,” he recalls.“My wife Amy came with me, we had three kids then, and it felt like a nice little vacation and a chance to experience another culture.”

That“vacation” would soon become one of the defining weeks of his career.

“I was a little tentative at first,” he says,“but once we got there, it was one of the safest places I've ever been. The people were so accommodating. Everyone was so nice.”

First impressions of excellence

The National Course at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa impressed him immediately.“It was first class. They put us up at the Palace, and the golf course was great. I went back years later, and they'd added a lot of yardage; it's much longer now, but back then it played beautifully.”

He compared the event's polish to that of long-established tournaments.“It reminded me of the RSM Classic in Georgia, run so well that you'd think it had been going for decades. Abu Dhabi felt like that, even in its first year.”

The emotional turning point came during Saturday's third round. After opening with a double bogey, DiMarco started to complain until Amy, caddying for him that week, snapped him out of it.

“She said, 'Listen, I could be out sightseeing right now, but I'm here caddying for you; stop being a baby and let's turn this thing around.'”

A birdie blitz begins

It worked instantly.“I birdied two, four, eight, nine, eagled ten, then birdied 11, 12, 13; it was crazy. I even had an eagle putt on 18 for 11 under, but three-putted for par. Still, it was a crazy good day.”

His 63 that afternoon transformed the week and set up a tense Sunday showdown with Henrik Stenson.“Henrik and I were good friends, and it was a battle,” he says.“I remember coming off the green and he said, 'Man, I really could've used that win.' I told him, 'You could've? I could've used it too!

On the final hole, with Amy by his side, DiMarco rolled a birdie putt to within a foot and tapped in for the win, one shot ahead of Stenson, with Sergio Garcia a stroke behind.“To share that with Amy, to have her on the bag, it was just special,” he says.“We've got the trophy photos, the 18th pin flag, it all meant so much.”

Nearly two decades later, the couple remains a team.“This is her second full year caddying for me on the Champions Tour,” he says proudly.“We've been married 34 years, she still loves carrying the bag, and we still get along. She knows what she's doing.”

As the 20th edition of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship returns to Yas Links this week, DiMarco remains fond of the tournament that marked such a pivotal moment in his life and career.

Their journey, which began as a“nice little vacation,” became a defining victory, all because of one powerful sentence.

It's proof that sometimes, just a few words can change everything.

“Stop being a baby, and let's turn this thing around.”

MENAFN04112025000049011007ID1110294857