Five months after considering quitting golf, American Jason Gore is living out his own Cinderella story. The 31-year-old from California gained promotion to the lucrative PGA Tour barely a month ago after three consecutive wins on the minor league of the US Nationwide Tour.
And on Sunday he earned his maiden PGA Tour title with a one-shot victory over Paraguay's Carlos Franco at the 84 Lumber Classic in Pennsylvania.
The winner's cheque for $792,000, which almost doubled his PGA Tour career earnings, will go a long way towards resolving some of the financial problems he has experienced this year.
He also gains a two-year PGA Tour exemption, which he hopes can be the launch-pad for even better things to come.
"It's been all so overwhelming, and it really hasn't sunk in yet," Gore said after carding a two-under-par 70 at the Mystic Rock Golf Course.
"It's pretty incredible now to be a PGA Tour winner. Wow, that's cool just talking about it. I'm going to cherish this for a long, long time."
Gore has rocketed 230 places to a career-high 88th in the world rankings with his breakthrough win. In June, the unheralded Gore grabbed the attention of golf fans when he vaulted into contention for the US Open at Pinehurst with a second-round 67.
Although he subsequently spiralled down the leaderboard with a closing 14-over-par 84, he teed off in the final pair with twice champion Retief Goosen and made a lasting impression all week as one of the most popular players in the field.
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