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84 LUMBER CLASSIC

September 17, 2005

Jason Gore

FARMINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA

DAVE SENKO: Well, Jason, thanks for joining us. You're currently in the lead at 12 under. Maybe before we get started, you saw the check there. It's part of the PGA TOUR's Crestor Charity Challenge, so if you remain in the lead, there will be a $50,000 check presented to Uniontown Hospital and also a $50,000 check will be awarded to you which you can give to a health related charity of your choice. We should know something soon.

Maybe get us started, just talk about your day, looking ahead to Sunday.

JASON GORE: It was fun (laughter). I got off to a good start, chipped in on 1 for a 2, and just kind of kept hitting some pretty good shots. I actually hit it to like five feet on 2 and missed it. I played pretty well but left a couple shots out there and got a couple shots I probably shouldn't have. So it is what it is. I don't know how else to explain it. I played well, and hopefully tomorrow we'll get the same thing going.

Q. Your shot sequence, 1, you hit driver and

JASON GORE: Lob wedge.

Then bogey on 3, I hit it almost down on 4 tee, way right, and then blew it up there on the green and two putted for bogey.

Birdie on 5, I hit driver, 7 iron just short of the green, chipped up to about two feet, a foot and a half, something like that.

8, birdie, hit driver, 5 iron down there to the right of the green and chipped it up to about five feet and made it.

11, hit driver kind of halfway down the hill and hit 2 iron left. You know, I had that little runway in the fairway there, and I had like 51 yards and chipped it up there about six, seven feet, something like that, and then made it.

Bogey on 12, actually it was the best hole I played all day, hit 8 iron all the way to the back third of the green, which took all the water out of play. For as good as the par was yesterday, holing that wedge for par there after hitting it in the water, just I three putted.

Bogey at 14, I hit a driver down the middle and hit 8 iron over the green, looked like it was a popular spot because everybody behind us hit it over the green, too, and so did Bob Burns, so it must have been a little tricky little wind.

Birdied 15, hit driver, sand wedge to about 15 feet and made it.

Then hit driver, 5 iron just in the left fringe on 16 and got it up and down.

Q. How were the conditions today? Were they a little more difficult?

JASON GORE: Yeah, the wind was pretty bad. I looked over at Louis, and I said, "Which way is the wind going?" And he said, "It's going like this (indicating swirling)." It's a great golf course when the wind blows like that. It's a great golf course anyway, but it really makes you stop and think and makes you second guess yourself, which is not good.

Q. Your mom Kathy says she's from Turtle Creek originally, and you responded to the guys pumping for you on 17. Are you a Pittsburgh kid come home? Are you a Steelers fan?

JASON GORE: I am a Steelers fan. What's really funny is everybody back there is all from Pittsburgh except for that guy in the corner is from Cleveland; he's a sellout (laughter).

Actually my chiropractor's son is actually the kicker for Pitt, who's Josh Cummings, so my chiropractor back home is Doc Cummings, so it seems like we've got a ton of connections to this area.

The sellout from Cleveland back there, his dad actually taught me how to play golf. I came out here for one summer and fell in love with the game, out there at Manor Valley, and kind of learned how to play golf, so my roots are pretty deep here.

Q. The Nationwide Tour wins that you have, do you remember where you were after 54 holes?

JASON GORE: No (laughing), to tell you the truth I was four back in Omaha, I remember that. I was maybe one back in God, that's a great question. I can't remember what I had for breakfast this morning. Maybe it was one back going into the last round in Bridgeport, and I might have been one or two up in Wisconsin. I think it might have been one up in Wisconsin.

Q. So it's not totally foreign to you?

JASON GORE: No, I was having a streak of being in the last group like five out of the last six weeks or four out of the last five weeks, Nationwide Tour, including the Open. No, it's where we want to be. It only is what you make of it, and it's still golf tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it; it should be exciting.

Q. Talk a little bit about the ride since the U.S. Open.

JASON GORE: How much time do you have (laughter)?

Q. All you want.

JASON GORE: It's been pretty incredible. I just simplified the game a little bit, and that was really all it was. If you come to realize that the tee ball on Thursday, the first tee shot on Thursday, is as important as the last putt on Sunday, then you're able to concentrate on every shot just the same. It all means one, and that's really what I'm trying to do. I'm just as comfortable over the last putt on 18 as I am on the first tee on Thursday, which is never very comfortable, but you're just trying to put your all into that one shot because that's all you can control.

I think that's really why I've been starting to play better.

Q. How about the way the public has taken to you?

JASON GORE: I've got them all fooled (laughter). I don't know; I mean, I've been asked that question a lot, and I really can't explain it. I'm pretty lucky. I've got a lot of fans that have been extremely supportive of me. It's kind of an overwhelming feeling. I just really don't ever know how to say thanks. It's like I'm almost kind of shy about it. It's been pretty incredible, that's for sure, and I hope I can repay them.

Q. Pretty much the same way out there today?

JASON GORE: It was pretty cool. That 17th green was pretty fun (smiling). There are some people consuming some beverages around there, and it's awesome (laughter).

Q. After dealing with the pressure from the U.S. Open, which you're under pressure there, now you go into the lead tomorrow. Are you better suited now to deal with the pressure as a leader tomorrow?

JASON GORE: Yeah. I mean, pressure is only what you make of it. I think I learned so much the last round of The Open that I was able to take it into the Nationwide events, and knowing that I'm probably not going to see anything ever like what I dealt with at the Open, and it just kind of puts it all in perspective. Coming down the stretch tomorrow, this will mean a lot to me, just as much as Bridgeport and Omaha and Wisconsin meant to me. This is the most important tournament I'm playing in because I'm here.

I think what I learned from the Open has really helped me and is going to help me tomorrow, no question.

Q. What's your chiropractor's first name?

JASON GORE: Rodney. He'll appreciate that (laughter).

Q. Could you see how close your ball landed on 16, how close it was to the edge?

JASON GORE: Yes, I did. I saw it, and it was only about 40 feet left of where I was aiming (smiling).

Q. Do you play golf with Dr. Rodney or do you see him for twisting and bending things?

JASON GORE: Yes, both. Both Bob Burns and I see him, so we were kind of when we woke up this morning, we were like, "Oh, gosh, I wish he was here," and said maybe he is because we didn't know where Pitt was playing because he goes to almost every game, but they were in Lincoln.

Q. Was it discouraging at all not making up any ground while people were putting up better numbers in the first round and second round?

JASON GORE: You know, I've never won a golf tournament on Friday. You know, it's a marathon, not a sprint, and you just try to never you just try to keep yourself in position and keep what's out in front of you there and just keep moving forward, and golf is kind of a funny game. You can't play great all the time. Yesterday wasn't it was actually a pretty good round considering some of the spots I hit. I didn't play very smart. That's the way it is.

Q. What would it be like to win be the first player to win on the Nationwide Tour and the PGA TOUR in the same year?

JASON GORE: Didn't Stankowski do it a while back? I believe he did. I think he came out and won a Nationwide event and won a PGA TOUR event the next week. It would mean a lot.

Q. Faulty information, sorry.

JASON GORE: It's okay. I'm here for you (laughter).

It would be exciting. It would definitely be exciting, especially to win here. The Hardys have bent over backwards for us. It's one of our better tournaments that we have. They make every player feel like they're the most important player in the field, and it's pretty difficult to do, but they do it. It would just be nice to win at such a great place like this.

Q. Have you set long term goals? I mean, do you say to yourself I want two Masterses or I want have you set those goals or are you on the ride?

JASON GORE: Goals are kind of funny. Sometimes you can limit yourself by setting them. Right now I'm just trying to be patient, just trying to go about it one shot at a time. I know how boring and cliche that saying is, but that's really all it is. I'm not anywhere near close to qualifying for The Masters or for the Open next year, but that's sure, everybody in this field would love to win The Masters two, three, four, five times, but they've got that Woods guy that's pretty good (laughter).

I'm just trying to take everything pretty patiently and just trying to put one foot in front of the other and get by tomorrow, and we'll go from there. Sorry, that's pretty boring. I'm just trying to keep it simple.

Q. Phil Mickelson might just have been pulling our leg or something, but he said you were a real good singer.

JASON GORE: He is pulling your leg. Yeah, he's always been a liar (laughter). No, those are vicious rumors. I've been known to croon from time to time, but it's all very amateur.

Q. Was Phil in the audience when you did this?

JASON GORE: God, I hope not.

Q. He said you were really good, and he went on and on.

JASON GORE: He's a very nice guy.

Q. Is it opera or what?

JASON GORE: Do I look like an opera guy to you?

Q. Is it country western?

JASON GORE: It's a little bit of everything. Mostly Elton, I kind of like that guy, classic rock, a little country, but most of those rumors are a little vicious.

Q. You don't exactly look like Elton John.

JASON GORE: Thank you (laughter).

Q. If you win tomorrow and we bring in a piano, could you do a little Benny and the Jets?

JASON GORE: I could probably slide across the top. That's all I'm doing.

Q. Would you wear the duck suit, too?

JASON GORE: If that all happens tomorrow, I just might (smiling). No, I'm retired now, me and Celine Dion. Maybe I'll be in Vegas with her some day.

Q. Was it something you did as a hobby or something that interested you or something that you could do?

JASON GORE: Yeah, probably a little bit of all that. I mean, I just enjoy it. Then the rumors get blown out of proportion and I just stopped, just cold turkeyed.

Q. Do you perform publicly in a group or anything?

JASON GORE: No, I'm not in a band or anything like that. I guess I'm just a big music fan. I've got guitars and had some drums, and I just love music. I love all kind of good sounding music.

Q. Could you and John Daly do a duet?

JASON GORE: We have never done anything in public because I can't play guitar and sing because I'm too concentrated on my fingers on the guitar, but John can go. He's a good player and a pretty good singer, and maybe someday we'll get together and throw down an album or something, I don't know, us and William Hung.

Q. Next year I think you guys ought to be the entertainment.

JASON GORE: No, stop right there (laughter).

DAVE SENKO: Thank you, Jason.

End of FastScripts.

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