The Nationwide Tour regular has Pittsburgh-area connections. Jason Gore captured the attention of the golf world a month ago when he contended for three days at the U.S. Open in Pinehurst, N.C. He made a name for himself, however, by how he handled himself during and after a final-round 84 that left him in a tie for 49th. The 6-1, 235-pound native of Van Nuys, Ca., was a tower of strength during and after the round, not giving up on the course and conducting himself afterward as professional golfers are expected to when they've had a bad day at the office. "Obviously, I'm very proud of what he's done," said his mother, Kathy Gore, who lives in Monroeville. "But I'm even more proud of the way he's handled himself." She referred both to the Open and last week's National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic in Bridgeport, W.Va., where Gore shot four rounds in the 60s to capture his fourth Nationwide Tour victory. "It was a great day and a special week," Jason Gore said. "I had a lot of fun out there today. To be able to hug your Mom coming off the 18th green is pretty cool. I'm just glad we ran out of holes there at the end." Kathy Gore was born and raised in Turtle Creek, went to Turtle Creek High School. After getting married, she moved to California where she lived for 40 years. Three years ago, she moved back to the area. Her husband died in 1997, and she moved back to Monroeville in 2002. She still has family in Western Pennsylvania, including an older son, Ron, who lives with his wife and three children in Level Green. Because Jason and wife, Megan, had a son in October, Jaxon William, Kathy Gore has grandchildren on both coasts. "I guess that makes me bi-coastal," she said. The $108,000 Gore won at the Pete Dye Club provides a big boost toward his goal of earning full-time PGA Tour playing privileges next year. The top 20 on the Nationwide Tour money list automatically get cards. He's 7th on the money list going into this week's tournament with $149,579. "I'm going to keep playing a lot until I secure that card, then I'll take a couple weeks off," Gore said. "I was home for a week after the Open, but that week was pretty crazy and I didn't get to rest much." He was in Monroeville over July 4 and was the guest of honor at a party at his mother's house. Gore had played in the Lake Erie Charity Classic at Peek 'n Peak Resort the week before and was on his way to Bridgeport for the Pete Dye. "It has been quite a month," said Gore. "It has definitely been a learning experience since Pinehurst. Whatever tournament you are playing in at the time is a very important tournament -- whether it is the U.S. Open or the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic." While he takes valuable lessons from the humbling final round at Pinehurst with him, Gore believes that week didn't happen just because he's a nice guy. "I kind of thought I could play well in the Open, had been playing pretty decent for a while, but I certainly didn't expect that kind of week exactly," Gore said. "The thing is, what happened to me at the Open could have happened to any one of us. To have a week like that at the Open was unbelievable. It just happened to be me." Nationwide Tour officials talk about how that circuit is more than a developmental organization for the PGA Tour. Count Gore among the believers in that line of thinking. "I think our Tour already is a second tour and not a developmental tour," Gore said. "There just aren't enough spots on the PGA Tour. There are just too many good players there and here. I just hope that in some little way, the Nationwide Tour gets some exposure from this. There are a lot of good players out there, a lot of guys who are fun to watch. The play out here is so solid. If I can bring some attention to them, that would be great." Gore played 30 events on the PGA Tour in 2001 and 2003, but couldn't make enough money to keep his card. He even played a couple rounds in the 84 Lumber Classic in 2003 but failed to make the cut. "I didn't have much confidence in what I could do or focus when I was out there before," Gore said. "Now, I'm starting to see that I can play at that level. I would like one more shot at it." Meanwhile, the proud mom has received emails and letters and phone calls from everywhere, including an email from a friend who saw a story about her son's victory in a German newspaper. "You know, they used to call him Mr. Clutch in college," she said. "I've been waiting for this, I knew he could do it, but he just had to get over that little edge. Now, he's out there to win."

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