Teeing it up alongside 54-hole leader Charles Howell III and Cameron Champ in the final group today at the RSM Classic on St. Simons Island, Georgia will be a guy who sells insurance for a living.
Seriously.
Former Web.com and PGA Tour winner and current property and casualty insurance salesman Jason Gore is sitting one stroke back of Howell III as he enters the final round on Sunday.
Gore, a force to be reckoned with in the first decade of the 2000s, won seven times on the Web.com Tour between 2000 and 2010. He also picked off a PGA Tour victory in 2005, winning the 84 Lumber Classic. However, as Gore entered into his mid-30s, he suffered from debilitating back injuries that essentially derailed his career.
Three years ago, Gore and his business partner began the insurance company, Kirkman and Gore, and Gore said this week he’s really enjoyed playing “client golf” as opposed to the Tour grind.
Receiving a sponsor’s exemption from tournament host Davis Love III and tournament director Todd Thompson, Gore has made the most of his moonlighting tour.
Rounds of 68-63-66 have Gore in position to contend for his first win anywhere in professional golf in eight years.
“I’m just an insurance salesman now, so I was just kind of rolling with it. It’s honestly the truth. Didn’t know what to expect, I’m just kind of going with it,” he said on Friday. “I’ve been playing a bunch of golf, just been doing a lot of client golf. It’s been fun. Actually realized that I love the game again, that I actually love playing it. Sometimes you get out of here and you just beat yourself up, especially a year that was bad.”
Gore and Champ both closed the gap on Howell III on Saturday, firing matching 4-under par 66s to pick up two strokes on Howell III who could only manage a 2-under par 68. Now Gore finds himself in an unusual position on Sunday playing alongside one of the most consistent players of this generation in Howell III and one of the most impressive up-and-coming stars in the game in Champ.
“I haven’t played a weekend in so long, I don’t know what to do,” Gore said. “I’m just going to go one shot at a time. I’ve got nothing to lose. This is fun for me. Like I was telling them earlier, I’m an insurance salesman now. I totally love being at home and just — so this is just — this is just kind of fun.”
Howell III, Gore and Champ tee off at 11:30 a.m. EST on Sunday.
