Glasses help Gore get back on a roll
One of the men with prescription glasses who played an integral part in Michael Campbell’s US Open golf win in 2005 is on his way down under to play in the New Zealand Open, starting in 11 days.
Jason Gore was a relative unknown, but quickly became a fan favourite at Pinehurst in 2005, as he led the Open into the final round. But, playing in the company of Retief Goosen in the final group, Gore collapsed in spectacular fashion, shooting a final round of 84 (Goosen had 81), allowing Campbell to come from behind to win an epic contest.
The ignominious choke did no immediate harm to Gore’s golf career, however, as he went on to finish the season by winning three Nationwide Tour events in a four-week stretch, earning him promotion to the PGA Tour, where his cult status was only enhanced with a win in the Lumber Classic.
The fortitude Gore learned at Pinehurst has been evident in his search for a solution to the putting woes that have seen him fall off the golfing map in the last two years.
Last season, he failed to retain his playing rights on the PGA Tour, and then struggled badly at qualifying school.
His honesty is as brutal as Pinehurst itself: “I have putted awful,” he says by way of explanation. “My ball-striking has been the same, I just haven’t made any putts. There are no excuses, it’s all down to me. I’d love to blame it on something but I’ve putted like crap.”
After exhausting an army of coaches and tossing out an array of flat sticks, Gore believes he finally cracked his problem with a visit to an optometrist before Christmas.
It was discovered he had a problem with depth perception, which was exacerbated by the colour green. The solution was a pair of prescription glasses, which he uses only when he putting.
“Hopefully my eyeballs will start seeing properly. So far it’s made a huge difference – I shot 65 the first time I wore the glasses and I just started to read the putts better.” Gore is hopeful he will get some invitations to play in PGA Tour events this year, but didn’t want to waste any time putting his new-found vision to the test, hence his decision to come down to New Zealand, and then on to the Moonah Classic in Australia. “Right now I just want to play golf,” he said.
Gore counts American comedian and TV talkshow host Carson Daly as a good friend, the pair having played golf together as teenagers.
“I still talk to him once or twice a month. He plays off about a six handicap now,” Gore says of famous friend. Asked who was the better golfer when the two were growing up, Gore quips: “I used to beat him, but Tiger [Woods] used to beat us both.”
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Tags: glasses, prescription glasses
Prescription glasses WIKI | admin | 
January 19, 2010 3:34 am
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