Jason Gore becomes winningest player on Nationwide Tour after win
Before yesterday evening, nobody had won more than six events in the 21-year history of the Nationwide Tour, a professional golf’s developmental tour.
But when Jason Gore managed an even-par 71 in difficult conditions yesterday
to finish at 14-under-par to win the Miccosukee Championship in Miami by four shots over Kevin Kisner and Scott Gutschewski, he became the winningest player in Nationwide Tour history.
Yesterday’s win was Gore’s seventh on the tour and his first win anywhere since 2005. The 36-year-old Californian, whose lone PGA Tour victory came at the 2005 84 Lumber Classic, was happy
to get any win after such a long drought.
"This one ranks among the best," he said. "It's just been so darn long. It never gets old. It doesn't matter where or when you win."
"It's a hard way to make an easy living,” Gore continued. “A lot of people play for money but I love trophies. Trophies shine!"
With the victory, Gore broke a tie with Sean Murphy, Matt Gogel, and Kevin Johnson, the three other six-time winners on tour. He collected $108,000 for his efforts, vaulting him from 124th
on the money list all the way to 39th, putting him in the 60-man field at the season-ending Tour Championship in a couple of weeks.
Gore, who had missed 10 of 18 cuts going into the event, entered the final round with a two-stroke lead over the field at the Miccosukee Golf & Country Club. But his lead quickly evaporated
after consecutive bogeys on his first two holes.
"That might have been a kick in the head," he said. "That might have been a good thing. I said to myself, 'this is not going to be given to you.'"
Gore fought back with two birdies in his next three holes, helping him regain the lead. The only player to put any real pressure on Gore during the final round was his playing partner
David Hearn. When the 31-year-old Canadian chipped in for birdie at the 10th hole, Gore’s lead was cut down to one.
"David looked over at me and stared me down," said Gore. "He might have just been looking at me after I told him 'nice shot.' David's a great friend and I've known him a long time. Sometimes
you take things out of context and use them to your advantage. I knew that I was going to work my butt off to make sure nobody was going to catch me."
The turning point came at the 13th hole. A triple-bogey for Hearn, after driving it out of bounds, and a birdie for Gore at the par-four pushed his lead to five shots with five holes to
go. The only question left to be answered would be Gore’s winning margin.
"It was fun to be in that battle," he said. "It was fun to be in that arena. It seemed like it was going to come down to whoever blinked first."
A group of four golfers finished in a tie for fourth at 11-under, including Hearn, Won Joon Lee, John Kimbell, and Keegan Bradley.
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