Late Charge Lifts Gore

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — It took a little while, but golfer Jason Gore finally soared, on the wings of an eagle he recorded on the second hole in the afternoon round of the 36-hole 86th California Amateur Championship on Saturday at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

Gore, a Valencia resident and former Hart High and Pepperdine standout, came from behind to beat 25-year-old Scott Watson of Walnut Creek, 6 and 5, to win the championship and add his name to another title.

Gore, 22, won Pacific 10 Conference championships as a freshman and sophomore in 1993 and ’94 at Arizona before transferring to Pepperdine two years ago. Two weeks ago, Gore finished third in the NCAA individual championships to help the Waves win the Division I title.

He captured the state Amateur despite falling 2-down to Watson after the first 18 holes Saturday.

Gore turned the 2-down deficit into a 5-up advantage by winning seven of eight holes along the front nine in the afternoon against a faltering Watson, a former UC Davis golfer who earned one of the last spots in the 32-man field by surviving a seven-man playoff.

Gore made par on the first hole in the afternoon by getting up and down from a tough greenside bunker lie.

Then on the 502-yard, par-5 second hole, Gore chipped in from 20 feet for an eagle-three, and just like that, the momentum that had carried Watson into the finals vanished.

“Those first two holes were the key,” Gore said. “I’m sure when [Watson] saw my ball in the bunker that he expected to go 3-up, and when I got it up and down, that had to hurt. Then to have me chip in on him just added to the pressure.”

Gore, who attacked the flagstick throughout the day, went on to shoot two-under-par 34 on the front nine.

Watson, on the other hand, wilted. He double-bogeyed the par-4 third hole and then three-putted three consecutive holes. After the par-4 ninth hole, Gore was 5-up.

“You have to put things in perspective,” Watson said. “This tournament started with 1,100 people and I came in second. I was thrilled to make it to the championship match. I’m just sorry I couldn’t keep it going for one more round.”

The morning round was an up-and-down affair for both players.

Watson birdied Nos. 4, 5 and 7 to take a 3-up lead after eight holes. Gore answered by winning three consecutive holes on the back side to even the match, including the par-four 13th, where he sank a nine-iron shot from 136 yards.

Watson responded by winning the par-four 15th and par-three 17th holes with pars to take a 2-up lead after 18 holes.

“I was totally discouraged,” said Gore, who took a putting lesson from his father and caddie during the break between rounds to get back on track for the afternoon session.

“I knew I was moving my head,” Gore said. “My dad said I wasn’t aligned right, and [caddie] Adam [Hill] said I didn’t have the ball positioned correctly. Basically, I was totally [messed] up. I was lucky I was only 2-down.”

Gore’s victory has put his plans to turn professional on hold.

“I’m looking forward to representing the Southern California Golf Assn. at the Pacific Coast Amateur in July, and I would really love to represent my country in the Walker Cup in August,” he said.

The United States Golf Assn. will select the Walker Cup squad sometime in the next few weeks.