OMAHA, Neb. -- Jason Gore walked off the 18th green and into
the Nationwide Tour record books Sunday at the $625,000 Cox
Classic presented by Chevrolet.
The affable Gore fired a final-round 8-under-par 63 to finish
in a tie with Roger Tambellini (64) at 23-under-par 261. After
both players parred the first playoff hole, Gore then drained
a four-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole for an unprecedented
third straight winning start.
“That’s
pretty cool, isn’t it,” said Gore, repeating his
favorite phrase, used as recently as Friday after his record-tying
12-under-par 59. “It has been an amazing stretch. Hopefully
I’m not just on a hot streak. Hopefully I’ve learned
how to play golf and we’ll go from here.”
Gore
began the day four shots off the lead. After pars on the first
two holes, he reeled off eight consecutive birdies -- just
one off the Tour record held by Omar Uresti -- to move into
a three-shot lead with eight to play.
“I
played well on the holes I had to,” said the 31-year-old
native of Van Nuys, Calif. “That was my only chance
to get back in the golf tournament.”
 With
Tambellini making a late charge with birdies on Nos. 16 and
17, a birdie by Gore on his final hole was necessary to finish
at 23-under. He rose to the occasion, nailing an 8-iron to
15 feet for the birdie and the tie. He then watched from the
18th hole scoring area as Tambellini failed to birdie the
last hole for the win.
“I
really wanted to make that putt,” said Gore. “It
was an incredible tournament. From day one it was an incredible
week and it came down to a great finish between two really
good friends.”
After
an opening-round even-par 71, Gore became just the third player
in Tour history to record the magical 59. Weekend rounds of
68-63 were then enough to propel Gore into the winner’s
circle for the third time this year, making him the seventh
player to earn the Battlefield Promotion -- an immediate ticket
to the PGA TOUR. While not in the PGA Championship field this
week, Gore is expected to take a week off before teeing it
up in the TOUR’s Reno-Tahoe Open.
Gore’s
victory caps off what can only be described as the ride
of a lifetime. Occupying the No. 58 spot on the Tour money
list following the LaSalle Bank Open in June, it was then
that his life changed.
En
route to the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, Gore had his car broken
into shortly after checking into a hotel in Asheville, N.C.
That served only as a speed bump for what the future held.
Gore garnered the “Prince of Pinehurst” label
for his excellent play at the major championship.
Despite
a disappointing 84 in the final round, Gore walked away
from North Carolina having gained more than just a legion
of new fans -- a much needed dose of confidence. With three
wins in his last three starts, he now heads to the PGA TOUR
with even more confidence in his game.
“We’ll
go out there and maybe have a little experience under our
belt,” said Gore, making his third trip to the big
show. “You just try to learn from every round you
play. Hopefully I’ve learned a lot here recently.
I’m definitely looking forward to Reno.”
Following
a tie for 10th place at the Lake Erie Charity Classic, Gore
began his record-breaking run of three straight winning
starts at the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic,
followed by a victory at the Scholarship America Showdown
and capped it off with his historical win on Sunday. With
the victory, he collects $112,500 and moves from fourth
to first on the Tour money list with $356,579.
Adding
to his accomplishments, the victory moves the former Pepperdine
University standout to the top of the Tour victories list,
joining Sean Murphy and Matt Gogel with six career wins.
Gore’s
peers were left in awe with his performance the week in
Omaha.
“He
has the force on his side right now,” said Tambellini,
who moves to No. 13 on the money list after collecting the
$67,500 runner-up prize. “He is playing great right
now. It is good to get him off this Tour and on the PGA
TOUR. It will be nice to play next week without him.”
In
the end, Gore proved why he has become not only a media
darling as of late, but one of the most likable players
in Nationwide Tour history.
“I
love the Nationwide Tour,” said Gore. “I’ve
got a lot of good friends out here. I hope they join me
on the PGA TOUR soon.”
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