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WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP

August 22, 2015

Jason Gore

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

DOUG MILNE: Jason Gore, thanks for joining us after a 8-under, 62, round 3 of the Wyndham Championship.
Capped off with a nice birdie there at the 18th hole to get to 15-under through tree rounds. Obviously in great position. Just a few comments on the day today and then we'll take a few questions.
And be funny.
JASON GORE: Now I can't talk. I played well. I mean like I said out there, it's contrary to popular belief, I'm still a good golfer and still feel like I am and, you know, it just took me 62 shots to play 18 holes. I just kind of kept moving forward and trying to keep it simple and try to hit good shots.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. With that we'll open it up and take a few questions.

Q. Can you talk about you normally seem to play your best golf later in the season. I don't want to say your back is against the wall but it kind of is. Do you enjoy this kind of pressure?
JASON GORE: I obviously do. I don't know. Maybe I'm a slow learner. I don't know. I've always done that. I don't know. You would think being a West Coast guy get off to a good start there. I hate it out there. You think a chubby guy from California couldn't handle the heat and humidity. I don't know. I don't know. Maybe I just -- brings my focus up. I wish I had a better answer but maybe I just start to bear down a little bit and focus and maybe I just stink early.

Q. Jason, did you almost give it up a couple years ago or what was it, that you were trying to be a golf coach? What's the story there?
JASON GORE: I tried to give it up. I couldn't even do that right (laughter). I applied for the Pepperdine coaching job and I think I've said this before but apparently I wasn't the guy that was going to further the Christian mission at Pepperdine University (laughter).
So I kindly told them -- I won't tell you what I told them. You can figure it out.
No, it was the best thing he ever did for me. I thought I really wanted to do it. I got a 10 year old son and 6 year old daughter and with my wife, who I adore, and thought I wanted to be home a little bit and I found out she doesn't like me, she wants me out on the road. That's not true.
But, you know, I'm basically came to the fact I'm unemployable so I belter start playing good golf and then I still feel like I have a lot in me.
I'm 41, I'm not a spring chicken but if you look at the guys who have had success into their 40s, always been bigger guys. So, you know, Vijay or Strick, they're always taller, bigger, stronger guys so I don't think I have to explain how about that one with me but big, rather big guy.
I feel strong. I feel healthy. My mind is clear. I'm happy. I'm happy doing what I do and you know, hopefully I can continue doing it for at least another what, 7 years until I'm 48, then take those two years off and turn 50 like everybody else does.
I'm very, very lucky to be able to do this for a living.

Q. What was it last year Jason, you were telling the story about Charles Barkley, you were being a good family man by staying home. He said, "You better get back out on the road. That's the best way to be a family man."
JASON GORE: I didn't even ask for his opinion. That was the best part. We were in Scottsdale playing in the Tommy Bahama Pro Scratch. I play with my best friend, Casey. He just happened to be there and my best friend Casey was -- or is, he's a recovering alcoholic so he doesn't drink, I don't drink.
Charles was -- he was fine. But he just said, "What's going on?" I said -- I had already kind of committed to the point where I'm going to do this for a living. "I love golf and this is what I want to do". But he's like, "Man, providing a better life for your family is the best way to be a good family man."
I don't know if I've done that yet but I'm chipping away at it. I got to stop buying stupid things. I'm not perfect. I didn't know if any of you knew that.

Q. I'm sorry if you've been asked this before but if you're paired with Tiger tomorrow, do you think your familiarity with him will help or is that irrelevant?
JASON GORE: I think it will help. I mean listen, I'm probably the biggest Tiger Woods fan ever. I've known him since we've been 12 years old. I respect the guy.
Actually kind of upsets me you guys -- not you guys, some of the people treat him like he's a 20 handicapper. Oh my gosh, Tiger is back or Tiger is doing this.
I'm not pointing fingers, I'm not pointing fingers but you know what the guy has done for the game and for -- I mean just for bringing people into the game of golf is amazing and, you know, it's a lot of people out here.
We all have better lives because of him and you know, some of us have jobs because of him and I just -- I think it's awesome to see him playing well again, to see him playing like Tiger Woods because that's what we all want to see.

Q. Two questions. When was the last time you were paired with him?
JASON GORE: 1986, maybe (laughter). I'm going to guess it was the Memorial, '07, maybe. Final round. The jerk birdied the last hole to beat me by a shot. He shot 66, 67, I shot one higher than him and ticked me off something fierce.

Q. The second part is, he's talked a lot recently over the struggles about being so close. You clearly been in a similar position. Have you felt throughout your time that you're one par putt away, you've been that close. Can you relate?
JASON GORE: I felt like I've been one momentum swing away. Like getting up an down on a par-5 or getting -- hitting a sand wedge close. Instead of making par you make birdie. Something like that.
You hit a bad shot and get it up and down. You make that key 8-footer for par or something like that. That's kind of what I feel like, just these huge momentum swings. I know I shouldn't be thinking that golf is momentum but it really is. I'm being honest with you.
I felt like it's been good. It's not like I'm shooting 85 or whatever. Been shooting -- I've been turning 68 into 71 or 72 and where you have to turn 72 into 68. That's kind of what I've just felt like I've been doing.
That's what's been so frustrating. You kind got to put your head forward and plow forward and keep moving. That's probably what he's going through, too. He's going through a swing change and, you know, many of us don't agree with what he's doing but you got to give him one thing, he's loyal and he's loyal to what he does with his golf game and he'll find a way. He'll find a way to do great things with what he's doing, whether it's right, wrong or indifferent.

Q. Jason, what do you like about this course? I know you mentioned North Carolina again but what specifically do you like about Sedgefield?
JASON GORE: I like that it's straightforward. I like that there are scoring opportunities but you have to hit good shots to do it. You know, like the two par-5s are right there. But the first par-5 you have to hit it in the fairway you can't see so you're kind of hitting it in an abyss out there and hoping that it's correct.
There are some holes that you just have to kind of plot your away around and I just -- I love Donald Ross. I think he does great, great work. He makes you think, he makes you place, he makes you not overpower. It's not a bomb and gouger. I wouldn't have liked this golf course about ten years ago but Father Time has quickly hit upon me and I'm not a bottom and gouger anymore.
You have to really control your golf ball around here and the greens are perfect. So if you hit it in the right spot on the green, you have an unbelievable chance to make it because if you hit the thing on line with the right speed it's going in. It's not going to hit something and you're not going to see many guys going, "Oh, gosh, what did that do?"
It's right there in front of you.

Q. What part of your game is better now than maybe it was five, six, seven, eight years ago?
JASON GORE: Cabeza. My head. I feel like my golf swing is better. It's not as wobbly as it used to be, it's not as up and down as it used to be.
I feel like I'm more patient. Like I said I'm 41 now and this isn't life or death to me. It's not who I am, it's just what I do. Like I said, I got two great kids and a wife I adore.
I'm pretty darn lucky and, you know, I don't take it home with me. I try not to. Megan, if you're listening I try not to take it home with me (laughter).
You know, I just -- I enjoy the game. I love everything about it. I love what it does. I love that it's fairly unfair. You know, you can hit a bad shot and get lucky, you can hit a great shot and get hosed.
It's just -- that's why -- you're trying to hit a round ball with a round swing as a human outside. Sometimes when you hit driver, it's a round face and try to make it go straight. It just doesn't work. That's the beauty of it. Physics don't fit.
DOUG MILNE: A great ending point right there. Jason, as always, thank you.
JASON GORE: Think about that one for a little bit.

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