The Tennessean du lieu suivant : Nashville, Tennessee • Page 29

Pro football Titans looking at draft to add depth to offense 7C SPORT TSU Insider 3C JeffLegwold 8C (I Scoreboard 9C FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2001 DiMarco sees Augusta's easier side cMasters Leaders DiMarco -7 Cabrera, -6j Strieker 6 fusion I -5 Janzen 5 Mickelson -5 Others Singh 3 Woods 2 i -1 On TV When: Today, 3 p.m. on USA. Replay at 8 p.m. on USA. Highlights on WTVF-5 at 10:35 pm.

Inside Masters leader Chris DiMarco is a die-hard Florida Gator in Bulldog country. On 5C. More on the first round of the Masters, On 5C. Third straight first-timer to get opening lead has 65 By WENDY SMITH Stuff Writer AUGUSTA, Ga. As a young boy, Chris DiMarco put together an imaginary foursome during the week of the Masters.

He would pretend he was playing at the prestigious tournament and would play his ball and three others. One was for Jack Nicklaus, one was for Arnold Palmer and one was for Phil Mickelson entering today's second round Defending champion Vijay Singh shot 69. Tiger Woods, who is trying to win his fourth straight major and second green jacket, had a 70, the same first-round score he had when he won in record fashion in 1997. For DiMarco, the key was his ability to position the ball on the proper side of the pins on Augusta's slick, sloping greens. "I didn't leave it on the wrong side of the hole," he said.

"I didn't have that tricky five- or six-foot putt with a foot break. I never got myself in a position where the putt could get away from me." DiMarco became the third straight first-time player to lead or have a share of the lead after the first round, joining Dennis Paulson last year and Brandel Chamblee in 1999. His 65 is the second-lowest by a Masters rookie. Lloyd Mangrum (1940) and Mike Donald (1990) both shot 64. "This is a hard course.

You are not going to have things go your way all Please see MASTERS, 5C Gary Player. "I used to try to beat them," DiMarco said. "I always made them miss the four-footers." Playing in his first Masters yesterday at Augusta National Golf Club, he beat those legendary players and everyone else. At least for one round. DiMarco shot a 7-under par 65, the lowest first-round score here in the past five years, and holds a one-shot lead over Steve Strieker and Angel Cabrera and is two strokes ahead of DIMARCO PREDATORS I SEASON'S LAST DANCE AT HOME si 5 Sounds silence Cannons Ex-UT pitcher sparks victory in home opener By MAURICE PATTON Staff Water Mike Lincoln knows where he is.

He also knows where he wants to be. And with four starting pitchers on the disabled list for the Speedway open house tomorrow Fans can check out new track in Wilson County By WARREN DUZAK Slaff Writer GLADEVnXE The new Nashville Superspeedway's open house tomorrow is expected to draw between 10,000 to 15,000 people eager to get a look at the racing complex that will host its first major race April 14. The facility, located along State Route 840 near Gladeville in Wilson County near the Rutherford li mA Pittsburgh Pirates and Pirates General Manager Cam Boni-fay in the crowd for the Nashville Sounds' Pacific Coast League baseball home opener last night against Calgary, Lincoln didn't waste an opportunity to make an impression. Before a crowd of 3288 at Greer Stadium, the former University of Tenn County line, will be open for visitors from 10 am. to 3 p.m.

The speedway's parking areas open at 8 am but the gates to the track and grandstands will open at 10 am, when a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned, said Cliff Ilawks, Nashville Superspeedway Inside Map detailing route to the and parking. Larry Woody's Racing Insider. All on 2C. Weekend homestand Cannons at Sounds Today: 7 p.m. Tomorrow: 6 p.m.

Sunday. 2 p.m. Radio: 560-AM. RANDY PILAND STAFF Teammates congratulate Marian Cisar (39) after he scored to give Nashville a 2-0 advantage against the Calgary Flames. ft flte)iij essee standout pitched 7 13 shutout innings to push the Sounds to a 2-0 victory, allowing five hits and striking out four while benefiting from two of the defense's three double plays.

"This is my team," said Lincoln, who signed as a minor league free agent in February after spending the first five years of his career in the Minnesota system and parts of the previous two seasons with the Twins. "I want to go out and keep them in the game, just like they kept me in the game. That was a pretty solid all-around performance." It was a pretty solid all-around evening for Lincoln as welL In addition to his mound work, the right-hander made a pair of sacrifice bunts and started a key fifth-inning double play. With runners at first and second and the Sounds nursing a 1-0 advantage, Lincoln fielded a sacrifice-bunt attempt by Calgary pitcher Pat Ahearne (0-1) and immediately threw to third baseman John Cotton to force out B.J. Waszgis.

Cotton then threw across to get Ahearne, and Lincoln got an infield groundout two batters later to squelch the threat. "I got a lot of ground balls and I had a great defense behind me," Lincoln said Please see SOUNDS, 3C vice president and general manager. Visitors will be able to tour the $125 million facility, including a fan walk that provides a view of pit row, garages and the track's infield They will also get a chance to see the work completed so far on a drag strip, dirt track and a Legends track to open in the future. Getting there will not involve any professional driving skills. Hawks said the best way, tomorrow and on race day next Saturday, is to take either Interstate 24 or 1-40 to State Route 840.

At 840's Nashville Super-speedway seven-lane interchange, there will be signs and parking attendants to direct visitors to parking areas. There will be no charge for parking tomorrow. From US. 23L take State Route 452 to the track. In the parking areas, there will track vans and SUVs for older or disabled visitors to ferry them to the track area, Hawks said He urged visitors to avoid using back roads in both Rutherford and Wilson County to get to the track.

Although open for use tomorrow, those will be limited to just local traffic on race day, he said can do something special." Nashville's most lopsided win since a 6-1 victory against Calgary on Nov. 28 came with relative ease, as the Predators scored three goals in the second period to blow the game opea It made for a festive atmosphere afterward, as confetti fell from the roof of the GEC and the players gave selected fans their uniforms. "It was a huge win," said Nashville's Scott Walker, who had two assists. "The fans have been great and they stay around and we do a great show after the game for Please see PREDS, 8C Win in last home game allows chance for .500 By JIM WYATT Stuff Writer "Fangtastic Finale HI" turned out to be much more memorable than the final home games of the first two seasons. This time, the Predators brought their teeth.

Still playing for a chance to end the season with a 500 mark and perhaps wanting to redeem themselves from poor outings in past home finales, the Predators manhandled the Calgary Flames 4-0 last night before a rowdy sellout crowd of 17J13 in the Gaylord Entertainment Center. During the organization's first two seasons, the Predators lost by a combined score of 9-2 in their final appearances on home ice. But the Predators made up for that and then some last night, while also moving within one game of the 500 mark. Nashville (34-35-9-3) plays its final game of the season tomorrow night in St. Louis.

"We fed off the crowd's energy tonight," Predators Coach Barry Trotz said "Now going into the St. Louis game, instead of it being a nothing game for us, maybe we Preds 4 Flames 0 Preds still pondering if Randy Robitaille can be a productive everyday player in NHL On 8C. Next Preds at Blues, tomorrow at 7 p.m. TV: FoxSN No-names running out of time to savor their mastery of Augusta JoeBiddle 7 are hitting kind of borderline can get away with it," Woods said "Once the greens get baked out, borderline shots won't work out anymore not to these greens, not to these pin locations." We must post a word of warning. In 1997, when Woods won the green jacket with a record 18-under par total he struggled in the first round Shot a fat 70.

With the weather expected to be sunny and increasingly warmer the rest of the tournament, you can look for Woods and other top players to take their rightful place on the leaderboard "If the wind picks up and the sun comes out, it can change drastically," Strieker said. The more difficult the course becomes, the fewer golfers there will be who have a chance to win. It can separate contenders from the pretenders. "With the greens being soft and receptive, the guys who the greens were softer and there was no wind The greens were probably a 7 or 8 out of 10. There was a lot of moisture in the greens." Two-time U.S.

Open champion Lee Janzen opened with a 67 and knew the course was vulnerable. "You can be a lot more aggressive because the greens were receptive," he said The greens are still pretty quick, but not as fast as they have been." While prohibitive favorite Tiger Woods was shooting a more mortal 70, others took advantage. Maybe not The media guide claims Cabrera was making his second Masters start, having missed the cut last year. Yesterday, he shot a smooth 66. Don't cry for me, Argentina.

And so it was a day for dreamers. The favorable conditions allowed more golfers into the mix. This was the easiest day I've seen at Augusta," said Steve Strieker, who is playing in his fifth Masters and whose 66 marked the first time he ever broke 70 in the first round The fairways were soft. "except me." Amateur James Driscoll recently graduated from Virginia before showing up at Augusta. Playing in the same group with Tom Watson, Driscoll drained a birdie putt on the first hole on his way to a 68.

He is playing in his first Masters. Before that, one of his best showings came in the Gas-parilla Tournament. Really. Angel Cabrera? Maybe I'm wrong, but didn't he drive in the winning run for the Braves in a National League playoff game several years ago? AUGUSTA, Ga. Course conditions were as benign as they ever get at Augusta National yesterday.

No wind No rain. No sun. No heat. No humidity. Why, then, did the leader-board read like a Miami law firm? DiMarco, Strieker, Cabrera and DriscolL On a day where Augusta National was ripe for the taking, you had to look up most of the leaders' bios on the back of milk cartons.

For Chris DiMarco, it was only his first official round at Augusta National His claim to fame? Winning the 2000 SEI Pennsylvania Classic For which the fervent Florida alum received a treasured congratulatory letter from the Gators head football coach, Steve Spurrier. "I don't think anyone expects me to win it," DiMarco said after a 65, Joe Bddle is a Temessean columnist and can be II reached at 259-8255 or e-mail jtDidclletennessean.com. mm More stories Vols toughening up Search our archives for recently published i mum i Assistant Managing EditorSports: Bin Bradley, 259-8022 brxactleytertresseaacom Deputy Sports Editor: Michael H. Jones, 259-801 3 Assistant Sports Editor Kevin Procter, 259-8014 Assistant Sports Editor: Bob McOeBan, 259-8299 Write us: tnsportstemessean.com I Trite AP Coach Philip! Ful-mer was serious about establishing a more physical presence when Mets shell Braves quartet in N.Y. win I' T1 "Th6 New York Mets I i Vy teed off on four it Atlanta pitchers, reel- ing off 13 hits while running away with a 7-1 victory against the Braves.

On 4C. Chinese star sees first action in NBA Dallas center Wang Zhizhi, the first NBA player from China, scored six points in his debut last night as the Mavericks defeated the Atlanta Hawks 1 08-94. NBA roundup, 10C. basebaB stories. Click spring football began.

Yesterday's practice was proof of it. On 7C. mm.teimesseanxoni www.tenne$sfeVicoflt.