Gore took his punishment with his final-round 84 -- and fall to a tie for 48th finish -- like a man. He kept smiling and saying the right things through the pain.

“People kept saying I gassed it,’’ he said. “But I didn’t. It was the final round of the U.S. Open. I kept saying I’d be a better player for it, that I would be back. That was the truth.’’

That’s why his consecutive victories have been so vital to a guy who entered 2005 with conditional status on the Nationwide Tour, someone who was forced to sit on the sidelines because he could not gain entry into several early season events. It served as validation of his post-Open conviction that the experience would lift, rather than crush, him.

“The victory and the Open are like a chicken-and-egg thing,’’ Gore said, laughing. “The Open was such a boost for my confidence and I’m still riding that wave. I knew I was playing well (last week) and it was cool to perform with all the attention on me.’’

Gore gained attention at the Open because he played well and had a great story to tell. Talk about your wild, E-ticket rides. The places Gore has been and the ups and downs he has experienced just to arrive at the point where he could get his 15 minutes of fame.

Gore left the University of Arizona after his sophomore season, later admitting immaturity was a factor in the exit. In his defense, Gore suffered from bleeding ulcers in his Wildcat days and was known to vomit blood before collegiate events. He landed at Pepperdine and, in 1997, he double-bogeyed the final hole to cost the Waves a team championship and himself an individual title. On the day he turned pro, his father, Sheldon, died of a heart attack.

“It’s taken a little while to get back over that and try and become myself again, and not point fingers and blame,’’ Gore said at the Open. “It’s kind of like everything is starting to jell together and I feel like I’m becoming a better golfer.’’

Blessed with a quick wit, Gore kept laughing and smiling, whether on the course or entertaining the media with the story about thieves breaking into his car during his family’s drive to Pinehurst. His stereo and clothes, underwear included he noted, were taken. He even spun an engaging yarn about leading the U.S. Open in his only other appearance, holing a wedge for birdie on the first hole at Olympic Club in 1998. He went on to miss the cut.

What was not to like about this oversized player swinging the hot sticks?

It’s four-plus weeks later. Gore now knows he is a better player following his Open show, thanks to a tied for 10th at the Lake Erie Charity Classic at Peek 'n Peak Resort, his narrow victory over Doug LaBelle II at The National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic and his four-shot win over Bill Haas last week at the Scholarship America Showdown.

“It was tough on me at the beginning of the year,’’ said Gore, who played in several mini-tour events while waiting for his opportunity on the Nationwide Tour. “I finally feel like I can see the light. Everything seemed uphill early. I was getting nothing out of my game. But those days are gone now. And the worse thing that can come out of this year is I’ll have a great place to play (the Nationwide Tour) next year. That’s great.’’

But success has made Gore, who played the PGA TOUR in 2001 and 2003 with little success, hungrier. His eyes are set on the real Nationwide Tour prize, one of the PGA TOUR 2006 exemptions that go to the top 20 players on the 2005 money list. Despite just 10 starts, he resides in third place with $244,079 after his victory at the Scholarship America Showdown in Hudson, Wis.

Incidentally, Gore’s most recent victory was his fifth on the Nationwide Tour, and his second on Tour in 2005. One more victory earns him a "Battlefield Promotion" to the PGA TOUR.

“I guess you can call me a late bloomer,’’ he said. “It takes me a while to get going.’’

Now Gore is looking forward to taking a couple of weeks off, setting a schedule and keeping his name upwardly mobile on the Nationwide money ladder. There even is a happy ending to his car break-in story. His radio was replaced by a North Carolina audio store after word got out.

“Now my wife doesn’t have to listen to me over the course of six or seven hours while we’re driving,’’ he said, laughing again.

There was only one other thing to report, he said.

“My underwear still hasn’t been found.’’