Gore Would Get Lift From Another Win

Jason Gore enters the Buy.com Tour State Farm Open beginning today at Empire Lakes Golf Course in Rancho Cucamonga seeking much more than his third consecutive victory and PGA Tour playing privileges. He is seeking history.

Gore won Buy.com Tour events in Idaho and Oregon the last two weeks, but a victory this weekend would make him the first to win three consecutive Buy.com tournaments.

Gore, who became the sixth player in the 13-year history of the tour to win consecutive events, jumped from No. 64 to No. 4 on the season money list over the last two weeks. The top 15 earn an automatic exemption for the 2003 PGA Tour and Gore, with $230,472 in earnings, is a comfortable $95,196 ahead of No. 16 Jason Caron.

Another victory, however, would get Gore on the big tour for the final five events this year. Any player winning three Buy.com Tour events in one season earns an immediate bump, known on tour as a “battlefield promotion.” Only Chris Smith in 1997 and Heath Slocum and Chad Campbell last year have done it.

Gore, who led Pepperdine to the 1997 NCAA championship, made it through PGA Tour qualifying in 2000 and played a full schedule in 2001. He finished 178th on the money list and lost his card.