Jason Gore  00:00
The cool part about the US okay, I've said this a bunch and this was one of the things I've stressed the USGA, it's like, every we all got buddies who have made it to one US Open, and it defines their career, I got a friend from Hamilton farm, and he didn't have a very successful pro career at all. But his introduction is this is Pat Wilson, who's played in the 2015 us hope, and all of a sudden, it just, like, adds so much to your career. It's a career achievement. And so like, you have to take care of those guys that might never be there again. And this is an important thing. And that was like my thing at the USGA was I wanted them to walk into the USO and know that no matter what they've ever done in the life, they've achieved something, I wanted them to see the kind of the bigness of like walking in their eyes going super big, and I thought that was important.

Scott Riley  00:43
Welcome back to another episode of Straight Down the Middle'ish. We have very special guests new Jacksonville resident joining us today. Jason Gore, welcome to the show. Yeah, Jason.

Jason Gore  00:54
Intro first applause I've gotten in a while.

Matt Every  00:56
Come on. Have you ever made anyone's day worse?

Jason Gore  01:02
I don't know. Yeah, it's just you'd have to asky my wife.

Matt Every  01:05
Other than her.

Aron Price  01:06
Can we check with Jason's wife?

Matt Every  01:09
I mean, every time I see you, and I know I'm not alone, you just smile when you see you.

Jason Gore  01:14
I don't know.  I just.

Matt Every  01:17
Do you think if you had a six pack people would like you as much?

Jason Gore  01:21
I hope not. No, no. Listen, this is all this is all very strategic. I guess. I just had to do Yeah, just go with it. i It's like I used to look at like, guys like Jamie lovemark Who are you know, six, four and a perfect triangle and I used to walk up to him and go man, every time I see you, I want to punch my parents. But no, man, I just tried to treat people the way I'd want to be treated. 

Matt Every  01:46
Yeah. So best.

Aron Price  01:48
And your name came up quite often when we were just throwing this podcast around. We would sit here put the mics on. And just the three of us thought your name would come up a lot. Just for a bunch of things. A bunch of things.

Matt Every  02:01
Yeah. Your time at the USGA. Let's tell them about my phone call with you. Which one, man? Well, you're like the perfect you're the perfect hire for for this position, you know, USGA and the tour because you can't, can't get mad at you. So if someone's pissed off about something, and they go to you, like, I would ask for a different person to talk to. 

Jason Gore  02:24
You'd ask for a manager. 

Matt Every  02:25
Yeah. Give me Stephen Cox.

Scott Riley  02:29
The carrying of the tour.

Aron Price  02:31
The backstory the to avoid Jason when he retired because the two ahead would you said some issues.

Matt Every  02:39
It was a USGS USGA. Further, tell us how this how this all shook out.

Jason Gore  02:44
I didn't retire. I quit. I wasn't good enough to retire. I just

Matt Every  02:47
quit saying if you've if you've won before, you can you can retire.

Jason Gore  02:52
Tiger can retire. Tom Brady can retire. Yeah.

Matt Every  02:56
You just did. Where? Tom Brady retired

Jason Gore  02:59
in the car coming here I go. Yep. I watched the Instagram.

Matt Every  03:03
I did too. It was sad. 

Aron Price  03:05
He did that last year, too.

Matt Every  03:06
I think this times for real.

Scott Riley  03:09
Well, Jason, you had a very long, long career on tour a lot of ups and downs. Just how many times did you earn your card, lose your card, earn it again. I think it was about four times maybe?

Jason Gore  03:21
Yeah, well, a lot seemed like a lot. Right. And it's been a lot of time at Q school.

Scott Riley  03:28
The one that really sticks out for me is the 2005 season. That's where you really jumped onto the map. Earn one of the first ever battlefield promotions from nationwide tour onto the PGA Tour. How did that how did that year really kick things off for your career?

Jason Gore  03:46
Man, I honestly I don't even know it was. I mean, it really defined my whole entire career. I mean, that's basically what it was. But it really kind of goes back to us open qualifying. I'm like McHattie, Lewis, polar, we were playing at East Lake. And we were playing in a Korn Ferry Tour event. I don't even know what it was. I think it was nationwide tour. And I had like seven holes to go. And I was like three or four off the cut. And I'm like, Dude, we're just gonna go back to Chattanooga, where you're driving. And he goes, No, you got to come back and finish off what you started and I come back and I birdie like five out of my last seven holes to make it into the US Open, which was now Pinehurst. The next thing I know I'm in the final group at Pinehurst and shot my temperature on Sunday. But, you know, it just really gave me the confidence to know like going into that final route. I didn't know what was going to happen. All I was trying to do is I knew at the end of the day I was going to be I was going to learn more about myself. And knowing that no matter what position I was ever in again, I would never see anything that bad.

Scott Riley  04:56
Did you know that  at Pinehurst well you were leading after have several second rounds

Jason Gore  05:01
 I was in second place going into the last.

Scott Riley  05:03
Okay but.

Matt Every  05:05
You were leading after the second round right. 

Jason Gore  05:07
Yeah. It was. I think so

Jason Gore  05:09
Yeah

Scott Riley  05:10
On cut day Matty every was in there as an amateur and needed you to what do you need?

Matt Every  05:16
I just needed you not to birdie number nine because you were finishing on nine and if you birdied out a minute left it was a 10 shot roll in and if you had birdie it would have knocked me out but I think you hit it in the front bunker and then got up and down

Jason Gore  05:28
That I think I hit a stupid good bunker she did. 

Matt Every  05:30
It almost. It scared it.

Aron Price  05:32
Yeah, underrated path three in will go.

Matt Every  05:34
Ah so good. Do you think we'll get back to you? Do you think pioneers is better now? Or back then?

Jason Gore  05:42
I was a fan of it back then. But that was probably purely just you know.

Matt Every  05:49
That was a golf course.

Jason Gore  05:51
It was all you wanted. And you know like now it's kind of luck and you know, luck of the draw a little bit by hitting in the rough but it wasn't there was no luck of the draw. You knew you weren't getting a good line

Matt Every  06:03
Right off, right.

Jason Gore  06:04
Now you can probably get a good life spin it into those greens. But

Matt Every  06:08
Back to that '05 season. How much do you think you mentioned Louis polar? Kind of riding your ass and saying get back here? You should know that. Yeah, he's he worked for me for a little bit. But he was your guy. Right? Like the majority of your career, either. I remember even even the the talk of the US Open that year was Louis's hat.  the PVR hat out there.

Jason Gore  06:30
It was red, who's the man his red patent leather Adidas shoes. Yeah, yeah, he was not he's someone else he is man. But

Aron Price  06:36
This is a great case study of how close some people are. So that doesn't happen. I'm not saying you don't go on. You're very talented go. But always go back to the max home thing and 17 shoots five under the back nine to like make the cut or to finish inside the top 75 to get into the Korn Ferry or then whatever it was web.com playoffs? And I remember tweeting something like that could be like a two or $3,000,000.09 holes. Well, it's probably about 40 million overnight. Yeah, that's what if it doesn't happen. You can get broken in the game ago. And there's guys when I Christo grow, there's 100 that are so talented, that just got broken, maybe right when they're about to crack through that wall. So it's it is looking back now. Like it's crazy that Lewis pushed you maybe you do it anyway, maybe you don't. But maybe you don't play good upon us. But there's so many guys are so talented. And it's such a fine line between winning PGA tournaments and not even playing on the PGA Tour.

Jason Gore  07:35
Yeah, I mean, I don't think I mean, I obviously wouldn't have been at biners as though, who knows if I played well or not. I mean, just getting I mean, the cool part about the US Open and I've said this a bunch of this was one of the things I've stressed the USGA it's like, every we all got buddies who have made it to one US Open, and it defines their career. I got a friend from Hamilton farm, it's like, he didn't have a very successful pro career at all. But you know, they his introduction is, this is Pat Wilson, who's played in the 2015. US Open. Yeah. And all of a sudden, it just, like, adds so much to your career. And, and I kept kind of telling them, like, listen to Tiger and the US Open is just another week. And we laugh about it and say, No, it's not, but it really is to them, right? I mean, they prepare a little bit more, but there are certain things that it gives you identity exactly like it like it's a career achievement. And so like, you have to take care of those guys that might never be there again. And, and this is an important thing. And that was like my thing at the USGA was I wanted them to walk into the US Open, and know that no matter what they've ever done in their life, they've achieved something. I wanted them to see the kind of the bigness of like walking in their eyes going super big. And I thought that was important.

Matt Every  08:52
Yeah, I've never thought of it that way. But I like that.

Aron Price  08:56
But that's what's the open, not cliche word.

Matt Every  08:59
I always tell my buddies that you know, tried to qualify that. Like, okay, now, what happens if you get in? What happens if you just sneak in there? That's just another week. Yeah, right. Yeah, right.

Jason Gore  09:15
But you know, you never know what happens. Yeah, I'm living proof of you never know. I mean, yeah, no, I mean, well, I mean, if you're a

Matt Every  09:23
Dude, you just had a battlefield promotion that year.

Aron Price  09:25
Well, that was that was after the confidence came. Didn't

Matt Every  09:29
you win one before that? 

Jason Gore  09:30
No, I don't think I won. That enough to get paid for the gas to get there.  

Aron Price  09:35
How many USMs did you play?

Matt Every  09:37
 I don't know.

Matt Every  09:38
Four maybe. 

Aron Price  09:39
Like Kim Smith. Yeah, even I played a couple I would I plan on to over 10 minutes, but I think I would view myself differently if I never played a major and that was anyone to play to. I played two. So at least I can say I played a shirt. A letter major at as 2016 out when I did birdie the first I was in the first group playing Danny McCarthy. Already the first I was like,

Matt Every  10:08
Wow, that's so so let's go back to pioneers real quick. oh five. You're in the last group on Sunday playing with Retief guy. You both shot a ton that day, right? We sure did. Did you guys just draft off each other?

Jason Gore  10:23
Yeah, I get what?

Matt Every  10:25
Take me back to the night before. How do you sleep? It's such a weird deal. I haven't wait till two o'clock to play golf.

Jason Gore  10:32
So I do you remember the old Sony trio phones? No. You remember those things? So was it a flip? No, it was like, it was like a Blackberry LCD like it was, you know, I thought it was really cool. I had a trio phone. Anyway, the screen broke on it. So I didn't have a phone that week that actually worked. So I just turned it off. Which was probably in hindsight, amazing. But...

Aron Price  10:58
Struck us though he does that.

Jason Gore  11:02
But when we went out and I think we got my wife got Domino's or something like, I remember like going to get gas in the car and getting recognized at the gas station. And I wasn't used to that. And our son had a double ear infection. So he was eight months old. And so you know, like there was so much other crap going on. Like, I didn't really worry about it. You don't have time to get no I didn't. And then we got to the golf course early because I'm sure Louis you know, since he worked for you, he's like, I need to get some golf course four hours early work on your wages, go have lunch. So that's that's what I did. And like that, everybody's like, Oh my God, he's here early. And I'm like, Well, this is what I do every Sunday or every day. I have an afternoon tea time which was mostly Fridays, but that's what I did. And so I just kind of went there and warmed up and then went and had lunch and then went out and properly warmed up and went to the tee. Like it was just

Matt Every  11:54
And you felt good. 

Jason Gore  11:56
I felt awesome really. I actually hit it too good. Too good on the range. Not the worst. The worst actually,

Aron Price  12:03
I can win this.

Jason Gore  12:04
Yeah. And you know, it's like I started to pray like I hit. I pounded one off The First Tee. I think I hit it like 30 or 40 yards. Best routine we've hit a perfect wedge left to the hole to a right hole location. I'm like holy crap I'm dialed drove it right and made bogey then hit then drove down the middle on the third hole you're not going to need a card for this so just hang in there but it's fine. I hit wedge thought it was perfect blue it over the green made six and then all of a sudden like I hit it exactly the way I wanted the wind kind of died and you know there you can miss it by two inches that it's instant double but

Aron Price  12:42
Punishes. Repels. Yeah, it's just brutal.

Matt Every  12:45
And there's something to hitting what in the air thinking they're good and then they end up bad I'd rather hit a crappy shot right and get penalized that way.

Jason Gore  12:54
But no question. I mean, it was perfect. It was back left hole location you can't go I hit it perfectly and all of a sudden I'm just like, oh no sit and it goes down over the back. I don't get it anyway. So after that moment, instead of just trying to play the the way Pinehurst is supposed to be played. I tried to start making birdies. Yeah. And there it's just it's not good.

Matt Every  13:16
Now there's like three birdie holes out there. Right? Yeah,

Jason Gore  13:19
And yeah, I just played all three of them. Old Ross record.

Matt Every  13:23
Every time I've ever played with you, you you flush the shit out of it. I mean, you do Dude, you're you're in the screw you live in the screws. What do you think held held? You like missing your like losing your card getting your card back? What What was the? What was the issue?

Aron Price  13:39
Get into the course too early. Maybe?

Jason Gore  13:41
Yeah, maybe? To be honest with you. Like I didn't like what came along with it with the God with the tour. Not not with the tour just like with being that guy. Like I just that just wasn't me like, I'm totally fine hanging out with some friends and the family and or just being by myself. Like I didn't like all the obligations that came with it. Maybe somewhere deep inside I kind of sabotage myself and you know, I just didn't want to do it. Like I just like playing golf. I just I love the game. I love everything about it. I didn't love all the responsibilities. So...

Aron Price  14:18
What about you been such a friendly guy ever let literally 100% of people that play golf on to love Jason go the big what comes with that is if you walk down the range everyone stops you wants to be yes we did that was that. It takes mental energy.

Jason Gore  14:33
It does. It isn't like. I'm a I'm a social guy, but I'm also kind of a hermit. Right? So I don't know how those two get along. But like by the end of the day, I'm exhausted. I'm like socially exhausted. 

Aron Price  14:47
Never thought about that. But that's what comes with the territory of being a popular guy.

Matt Every  14:52
Just get a six pack did you get rid of that problem? Well, eating good.

Aron Price  14:57
Talk to you because I envy you.

Scott Riley  14:59
So you go from I'm at four on a Sunday there at Pinehurst to winning the 84 lumber championship just a couple months later. I mean, what a wild ride at that had to then just an unforgettable season for it.

Jason Gore  15:10
It was pretty crazy. And just at that point, it was like, I mean, I'm going to toot my horn here, but I shot 59 In that, yeah, in that little leg stretch. And at that point, to me the confidence level. It didn't matter how I played whoever was going to win had to beat me. Like that is just an unbelievable place. I mean, I remember I had shut 71 The first round at Omaha and we know that Omaha is not the hardest golf course in the world, right? Like so. That's four or five over par. Yeah, so I've got pinkeye like, so that's why I started wearing the glasses and I'm sitting there with my coach. And, and who's your coach? It was a guy named Mike Miller, who was my high school buddy. Okay. So I'm hitting it's so bad on the range on Friday morning. I'm like, dude, just leave me alone. Not in those words. I said, Why don't you just want you to skedaddle get get some breakfast, go get some breakfast. Yeah, skedaddle. And I'm just gonna miss this cut, and we'll go in next week.

Aron Price  16:09
That's the thing that you expectations went from a couple of weeks earlier to nothing. There's something about playing golf with no, you know, when you're sick, where your kids go to sample their infection. Some of these guys were so talented. I joke every object. You need to get food poisoning Wednesday night and just be able to get to the tee. Yeah.

Jason Gore  16:29
Yeah, that's probably a stretch. Maybe about a sore throat to start with a sore throat. 

Matt Every  16:34
I had food poisoning at Greenbarrow one year and I was I was leading. Or I was in the last group going inside. I don't know if I was leading but it was like I hit my tee shot on one and had to run back to the locker room. You don't want that. That's yeah, that's a tough place. Maybe a sore throat.

Aron Price  16:52
It might be like Imodium in so? Yeah.

Matt Every  16:56
We're just a slight cough. Yeah. So after you're kind of done playing you land with the USGA. How's that? How does that come about?

Jason Gore  17:06
So I played in the final group with Charles Howe and Cam champ at the 2018 RSM. And I was you know, this was pre back surgery. I'm limping around like like the age I am like the old man. And cam champ is hitting it 70 by me, with a two on with a two iron he's hitting for enough to like to my driver like his ball speeds, five miles an hour faster with his two iron. impressive to watch it is everything that guy does is pretty impressive. But at that point, like we'd started an insurance company because that's what golfers do, right? You go every great amateur golfer and they're all insurance guys, real estate agents and real estate agents. But so I just... 

Matt Every  17:52
OnlyFans, whatever.

Jason Gore  17:55
That's why I don't get a six pack. But so we just kind of started this thing just out of the blue. And then I think I said something like, you know, I'm just gonna go have fun tomorrow. I'm just an insurance salesman trying to play golf. Right God haha. And so we get this, I get a call. We're at the twin fin with my buddy Casey Kirkman, we play every year in Scottsdale for this used to be called the Tommy Bahama. Yeah. And I get a call from Jeff Hall, who was my walker cup. You know, Jeff, who was my walker cup manager back in 1997. And he goes, Oh, hey, your Christmas card got returned? He said, Yeah, we just moved. We just moved houses. Sorry, didn't use you. This was in California. So

Aron Price  18:38
There are better agents out there.

Jason Gore  18:40
False. So he goes, Hey, we've, as you know, like, I want to run something by and he goes, as you know, we've had a few problems with the US Open the last few years. And this was right after Phil went running after the ball at Shinnecock. Yeah. And I think I probably said some sarcastic like, no, really, you know, and stuff like that. And he goes, Well, we're looking for a guy who's walked the fairways who's been out there, and your name got brought up. And at that point, like, I just played the final group, and yada, yada. And I'm like, Yeah, I'm still a golfer. And I said, but I'll help you with whatever you need. And we go out and play and this little, you know, we call it the slap and giggle. And my back goes wacky. And so my buddy who's definitely afraid of flying, we're driving back from Scottsdale to LA. And I'm sitting there like this, like it is the longest drive and I'm like holding myself up. Because I can't sit straight. So I get home, go to see my wife, you know, obviously go see my wife and I go, I want to make phone call with you. Like I want you to hear this phone call and she goes, what is it? And I said just come listen. So I called Jeff he answers and I said tell me more. And he goes through this long like job description and So Thanks, Jeff. And you know, I'll let you know. And my wife looked at me, she goes, this is all you and I said, I know it is. Yeah. And it was at that point, like, I just couldn't stand up. I couldn't sit down. I couldn't do anything. And I'm like, Alright, it's time. And especially after watching Charles and Cam like, right? 

Aron Price  20:18
They're like playing watching the young guys play. Yeah, as a compliment to them. 

Jason Gore  20:23
They're just so flippin good, right? Like, I mean, they're just.

Matt Every  20:25
 And they practice so hard. Stop practice. Lael

Aron Price  20:29
They all grew up on the Trackman from twelve. So they're all like, they all bomb Cameron James, something like 100% efficient. I remember speaking to Sean Foley leads, they're all now they get the maximum they can we were told to swing it smooth. They hit it hard and straight.

Jason Gore  20:43
Yeah. Well, that's a whole another conversation.

Matt Every  20:46
Okay, so your time with the USGA?

Jason Gore  20:51
Couple years? Yeah, almost three and a half,

Matt Every  20:53
Three and a half years. Wow, time flies, and you didn't touch all those courses up there in the Northeast?

Jason Gore  20:58
No. Well, so I got there and played a few. I played a few but I got there at 19 and you know, 19 When you just start a new job, you're just hair on fire. And, and I thought, well, dammit, next summer, I'm going to play them all. Then COVID hit.

Aron Price  21:14
And northeast was not friendly.

Jason Gore  21:16
Were they visitors? They were very tight. So

Matt Every  21:19
You definitely smooth things over though a little bit with the USGA, and the tour players was that that was why you were hired. Right?

Jason Gore  21:27
Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that that I can say to you guys and tour players that they cannot write. Right, like, I mean, yeah,

Matt Every  21:37
I think the way I always looked at USGA officials, I kind of thought they were similar to like TSA agents. Like, do you have authority?

Aron Price  21:49
No, but I'm gonna play devil's out because their job is to test and Yes, they've gotten it wrong. You know, maybe one or two out of 10 years and but I think because of that, it's just just gives the players open slather every time a small like a micro thing they make into a macro not hammering the players sometimes given given take. But Mike Davis, his job was to test like your mental thing to like, there's a reason my Clayton once put it to me, when they build St. Andrews in the old golf courses, the moguls are there, because you're supposed to get good bad bounces. It's supposed to be a test of your mental ability. How do you handle a bad bounce? I think the USGA bought into that and sometimes gonna get it wrong.

Jason Gore  22:33
And listen, golf is played outside. It's a tough sport. And they know what they're doing. Right? They totally they're all golf geeks. They're all super educated on it. We just see it differently, right? Well, they'll look at a whole location. And I'm looking back from the fairway of where I want to hit my tee shot of how I want to get to this hole location. And just because like setting up a golf course difficult is super easy. Right? Like it's just, you can put it on steep slopes, you can do it over here, you can talk about it, but at some point, you're going to make it so difficult. It's actually easy. Because it's taken all the decision out of play. You know, you have a 270 yard part three, you tuck it right for over a bunker and three off the left. Well, I'm just I'm just gonna hit it over here. Like, like my whole thing was how do I tempt them in this is probably not the PCT way to say it. But how do you tempt a player to do something stupid?

Scott Riley  23:28
So were you involved in setup?

Jason Gore  23:30
 I was.

Aron Price  23:31
Like what two inch Bermuda rough a one inch per meter off is perfect. It tempts you every time I got a six on Yes sir. I can go for it and then you hit a fly you 40 over the ground. Yeah, like

Jason Gore  23:41
That's the thing is I wanted you to step up over it and be uncomfortable, right? Like you had to overcome the doubt of standing over a shot and going okay, I've got seven iron in here to do a whole location with its you got water left. I'm sorry. penalty area left. Sorry, I still can't do that. Was that one of your changes? No. That was not one of my changes. I still call it a bunker. What about the drugs? Was that yeah, that was that was after I got there. 

Scott Riley  24:08
I wish they'd gone back to over the shoulder. That would have been amazing.

Aron Price  24:13
We'll say opinions. Great. Thompson.

Jason Gore  24:16
I don't think Davis Thompson would agree with that. Right? Oh. But like that was my thing with with setup in I just added in. When my job when I came in there like I kind of bullied my way into. I sat there and tried to figure out what was important to the players. What what they wanted. And I kind of started to bully my way into things right? Like, I'm like, Alright, they, I can talk about anything with them regarding rules and I'm not a rules guy. Or you know, because when I got there that was when those those, you know, the knee drop and flagstick and all this stuff kind of came into play and within 28 seconds they were talking about US Open setup really and So I'm like, alright, well, this is something that and I just said, I'm coming. I'm going out there with you. Yeah. And then I went out there with Pebble kind of, they were, they were welcoming, but not really, they were more like, stand there and just watch. And there was a couple things that I think I really kind of made it made. It made my point pretty straight when we're on the 14th green of Pebble Beach, and you know, that green it falls off and, and they wanted to put it like two and a half or three away from that big slope, right, kind of tuck it more on the right side of that left.

Aron Price  25:33
You can put the pin in the middle of that green still crazy.

Jason Gore  25:37
In, they're like, Well, you know, they're not going to be able to spin it off this, you know, under these greens, I said, and I looked at Jeff and I said, Jeff, you give me sandwich into the wind, and I'm going to spin it back on 17 mile drive. Like they're that good. I said, if you asked me to hit a shot land it right here. Knowing that it's going to come back on this poliana like it just especially uphill, uphill into the window into a left to right when it hits here, like three feet left, and it rolls all the way down the hill. 40 yards. I'm coming to look for you. Yeah, you don't want that on TV. So and I said just put it over here. I said you got they have plenty of room, but if they hit it in the proper spot, nothing's bad's gonna happen. 

Matt Every  26:18
That's like the hardest wedge shot ever

Aron Price  26:20
Ever. That's right. You don't talk that pin other than the USGA sometimes don't understand as a play it would. That's one just leave that one alone

Jason Gore  26:28
And the penalty doesn't fit the crime. Right. Right. Like you know if if I roll 15 feet down a little ridge and I'm you know, I got a 15 foot or up a little gradual slope and fine, I'm okay with it. But

Matt Every  26:39
If it's the next chip shot is impossible. Dead. It's impossible. It's dead. Where it funnels down to is it is so fisted.

Aron Price  26:48
15 feet, right. Yes. Right. 

Jason Gore  26:49
You have to pitch out on your on your chip. But it's, but that was like kind of the thing where they everybody started to go, oh, okay, I get it. And then, you know, there's a few things in there that I just, you look at it differently, right? Like, like I said, you can make it so hard. It's actually easy, like, make me make a decision. Yeah, make me do something I know I shouldn't do but I can't help myself.

Matt Every  27:11
So what what is different about your role with the tour now? Versus the USGA?

Jason Gore  27:19
It's very different. I'm going to try to bully my way into helping with the Players Championship just because I love it. I don't think there's a problem. But just I love being out there. I love looking at it. I love trying to figure it out. But I think I'm more of just the guy that's banging my fist on the table for the players. Like I'm representing the players. There's been a lot of stuff going on, as you know, but I think I think we got it to a great place. But I think I'm just kind of that guy that's gonna sit around and say that's not what they want. 

Matt Every  27:50
Can you share with us, some of those things guys are coming up to you about?

Jason Gore  27:59
Um, I think there's, you know, there's a little bit of how do I say there's like a disagreement between the top 50 And the rest of the players. So I'm trying to come up with some tours. It is but it is like I listen, we all know that. If you're in the top, if you're not in the top 50 You know, that these guys deserve? Yeah. Like, we can totally accept that. Right? If you're 95th on the money list, you're not going well. Why am I not getting this? Because Rory is getting it. Why am I like,

Aron Price  28:28
You understand? Only 5% of the players understand that. Yeah.

Jason Gore  28:31
You understand that?

Matt Every  28:32
And on some of those questions in the player meetings, dude, like there's been some little self awareness here.

Jason Gore  28:40
Yeah, it's just not the way it works. Right. Like

Aron Price  28:45
I could bring a few up and I was gonna get a couple.

Jason Gore  28:48
So anyway, like, let's I'm gonna change the subject. Yeah. About work here. But I think we'll get it right. We'll get it right. Because I think all these other players all they want is a chance. Yeah, right. Just give me a chance. Don't = let me you know, keep hitting the ceiling of Nope, you're not. Yeah, we know cam Young has played great. But you're not allowed in here. Right? Like, that's, that's what you have to be careful of, you have to just give, continue to give players opportunities to perform. And I think that's all they really want. Like, just, if I play my best, if I play well enough to start beating these guys that I should be able to play. I should be considered. 

Aron Price  29:30
You can't let the cliche of letting the inmates run the prison, but you also can't not listen to them. So that's where I guess you're you're hearing the USGA feel like had a pretty drama free time while you were there.

Jason Gore  29:46
No, it was I mean, obviously with things with dealing with COVID and like moving US Open in September. I mean, there was there was some crazy times 

Aron Price  29:53
But you know, the players' perspective, it seems that the temperature was way down, on set up and, you know, playabilit, rules. It seems like the USGA, like almost went to the went to the back of the brain of players wanting to complain about something when it was always at the front.

Jason Gore  30:13
That's kind of the way you wanted to do it. Right? Like just like what Matt said, like he won't, it doesn't matter if it's me, or if it's anybody else, players won't go after one of their own. And I think that's why like, that's why I was so I'm so not being a corporate guy. I'm just gonna be a player here in shorts. Like, players they know I'm not guessing it like what we're trying to do. And so like, I mean, how many times have we all played together? Like, you know, like, you know, that? I'm not. I'm not guessing at the things that go on inside the ropes. Yeah. You know,

Aron Price  30:49
Just another version of the player relationships like Phil, Phil Marburger. But But you've played?

Jason Gore  30:54
Yeah, but I can say stuff to you guys to the players

Aron Price  30:58
That Phil probably wouldn't. Yeah.

Jason Gore  31:01
Like, I'll call you. I'll call your bluff. Well, this is Bob. Oh, did you know that's not true? Yeah. Like, come on me, way better. But we're okay with that. Like, I mean, you we all know like. 

Matt Every  31:16
It's the beauty of our sport. You are what you are. Yeah, like,

Aron Price  31:18
Deep down, people do know that  I couldn't imagine.

Matt Every  31:22
Where judging is involved, right? No, I just couldn't, couldn't do it. That's what's great about golf. You are what you are. If you're top 50 your freakin top 50 Yeah,

Jason Gore  31:31
Like, you're good. You've earned your right and the guy who's 135 Can't sit there and go like this was back in the day. Like, this is how old I am. Like, I can't complain that I didn't get the nicer courtesy car. There's as Rory got. Right, like, dude, I'm a I'm a schlep.

Aron Price  31:49
I deserve to get rid. Okay.

Jason Gore  31:51
You know, but like,

Matt Every  31:52
They always gave me like number 74. Courtesy cars. I'm like,

Aron Price  31:58
Can you notice that?

Matt Every  31:59
Can I get like, ever something so something realistic, like 68 or so? Yeah. I mean,

Scott Riley  32:06
Do you know if if USGA found someone to replace you? I mean, it sounds like that you have to have now

Jason Gore  32:12
Scotland got Langley in Scotland. So

Jason Gore  32:14
I was gonna hire Scott because I was actually going to slowly move towards more inside the ropes stuff. And Scott was going to kind of be my lieutenant. But, Assistant, yeah, Lieutenant, I just called it. But. So that process was in in the works for a long time. And then Jay called, and it was a tough decision, but like, this is, this is what uh, well, yeah, it was much better, better taxes, for sure. But this is what I know. Right? Like, I mean, we all know. We know the tour. Yeah. And I'm like, so not a rules guy.

Matt Every  32:52
So what's next for you live? I mean, now. USGA PGA.

Jason Gore  32:56
I'm good. I think I'm pretty happy.

Matt Every  33:01
We're happy to have you in Jacksonville. Dude, I was so pumped when I heard you were moving here.

Jason Gore  33:05
I mean, we looked here 20 years ago. Yeah. And being in California and like, just seemed like such a big thing. Now we've moved from California to New Jersey to Phaedra and now we're probably just going to retire in Seattle. So we hit all four corners gonna get Dallas and Texas on the way Yeah, tonight. We got in and out there will be

Matt Every  33:25
will stop who in and out. Love it. I bet you will get in and out here soon. They just opened one in Nashville. They're coming east.

Scott Riley  33:33
So California kid you grew up by selling your wiki page. That first thing that list is you grew up playing with Tiger Woods. What was that like Junior Golf round? Eldrick?

Jason Gore  33:43
About the same visit as it is now? Yeah, I mean, he's just, he was just better, right? Like, I mean, I grew up. So I grew up at the same golf course that Max home, I grew up just a Valencia which kind of bugs me because like that was my golf course. So now they've totally given it to him, right. But anyway, placed, yeah, I've been my abs. It's a tall, skinny, handsome guy. That sucks. But now he was just good. And like that. Him and I have had conversations about, you know, like, he's, he's, I'll say this because I love him. And I've already told it to his face. But you know, he's got no sense of reality. Because he's just that good. Right? Like, he's just like, Well, these guys just need to go. practice harder and do this. I'm like, listen, dude, I could practice for 16 hours a day, workout for five hours a day and I'm not going to beat you. It'd be like, well, Aaron, like all you have to do is just do a couple leg raises and you'll be able to dunk from the free throw line. Like it just doesn't work that you're better, you're better you're more talented, you know, like you just you're gifted and if everybody was as special as your Tiger, you wouldn't be that and on top of that he does work as he does work is out so I'm not not discounting Not one bit. I mean, the guys worked harder the guys done but I mean,

Aron Price  35:03
Hey, like ingrained discipline from the age of like two or three, like when your perception stops when you just started to talk and walk. He was, you know, whether it's nature or nurture, he was disciplined. And

Scott Riley  35:16
Yeah, his dad dangled fast food in front of his face. Like, you can't have this until you run eight miles,

Aron Price  35:22
But it works. Doesn't work for every family, but it certainly worked for them, obviously. So, but wasn't Carson Daly was part of that crew you guys grew up with? He wasn't I need him on a podcast that I think was so interesting to listen to. He's awesome.

Jason Gore  35:37
He's awesome. Did you play with him at Pebble a couple of years? A few times. And then he's he, every time we played together, he missed the cut. And then he played with Ken Duke and he made the cut and I'm like, Dude, I'm done. Danny, when with Ken Do you did one of Canada's series

Aron Price  35:51
And he's got a huge back surgery. He hasn't barely played in two years can do no. Cars cousin. He's just just now getting back to Golf after a couple of years.

Matt Every  36:01
So you you didn't know Carson growing up playing golf?

Jason Gore  36:04
I knew a kid named Carson. I didn't know it was Carson Daly. I just never put two and two together. Like I just

Matt Every  36:12
I was like that with Jake Owen. Yeah, just saw my Pebble like four years ago. I'd introduce myself. He goes, I used to play Junior Golf against you. I grew up in Vero. I was like, No way. No idea.

Jason Gore  36:25
Just but yeah, I knew a guy named Carson. I knew we used to hang out with a guy named Carson. I just never put two and two together.

Aron Price  36:32
Who else in that crew, Chris Raleigh.

Jason Gore  36:35
Chris Riley was a San Diego guy. But yeah, we played together. Perez was he Perez was a San Diego guy. Chris Tillman. You remember Chris? Yeah, Oklahoma. Yeah, he was in. We were in, you know, kind of grew up together play. And then there was a lot of a lot of guys that were just super talented. They just never made it. 

Matt Every  36:52
Yeah, yeah. Yes. tons of guys.

Jason Gore  36:55
But I think like it was it was the opposite of Tiger. Like they have the same kind of discipline. And I think when they went to college, they just were like, I'm out.

Aron Price  37:03
Yeah, so that's totally the discipline sometimes always said the kid who's every grown up every kid who was good at 10 wasn't in playing golf at 18. Right? Because there's a thing about learning to lose. And if you never lose, and you get to 16 you start losing that seem to throw the

Matt Every  37:19
I'm going through right now and my kids and sports my my boys 10 is pretty good at whatever, whatever he does. And the the politics already in it is disgusting. And it's like, the some of these parents is like, dude, this kid's got eight years to fuck this up. Like it's too early to be grinding for this. Yeah, losing is

Aron Price  37:39
the best thing about when you're a kid. It's in that you need to lose and lose and lose and lose. And win every now and then sprinkle one in there

Jason Gore  37:47
You need to do that. So you know how great it is to win. Yeah. Right. 

Matt Every  37:52
Jason, I think one of the things you should do at the tour is bring back the 84 lumber.

Jason Gore  37:57
He just passed. Did you see that? Did he? Yeah. Mr. Hardy just passed on his 100th birthday. Oh, my God, like, like two weeks ago. So Wow. It'd be great. That was an awesome event. Yeah, they treated us so well. And that golf course was obviously I might be a little biased, but

Matt Every  38:13
I loved it. It's no Omaha, but it's no. I mean,

Aron Price  38:17
I feel like I didn't have a place to finish. I got until but that was what set like Wells Fargo when the tournament started trying to better each other how well you can treat the players, right.

Matt Every  38:27
And when they were the standard for that problem.

Jason Gore  38:29
It was unbelievable. Like, I just mean they knew they sent gifts for our kids birthday. Like there was just not any stone unturned. You get back to your room, and there'd be a shirt, there'd be a gift. There'd be something like it was awesome. But yet you had no idea how to pack it. Yeah. Give it like, Oh, great. You gave me a golf bag. How the hell am I gonna get this home but it was. But they were they're phenomenal people just a great, great group of folks. And like it was your right it was the the term that that kind of was the the measuring measuring point. All right,

Matt Every  39:04
Before we get you out of here, give me your best, Louis polar story. Well,

Jason Gore  39:08
There's a couple times where I had to bail them out.

Aron Price  39:10
Really? Yeah. From a bad situation. Yeah.

Jason Gore  39:15
Best Louis polar story. I got what I got. He's just taking care of his mom

Matt Every  39:21
Take care of mom in DC. I got a good one from Omaha. Actually, we were we were in the casino there when I were playing that web.com or whatever was called at the time. And we're playing double deck blackjack. All right, and he's hammering Heinekens and

Aron Price  39:41
Not to 0.0.

Matt Every  39:44
And we're in the, the, like, high limit room. It was like $25 but it wasn't much but anyways, because he's getting fleeced. All right. And he goes if you give me one more for one more 1400 gonna throw this beer bottle through that TV, and we're playing double deck. So this lady still in the cards, boom, he gets his cards flips them up seven, seven. I'm right next to him. I like reach over to like stop him from doing this you can split face. So he hits he hits face guard bust, and I'm like I'm like mom and um, you know, and you pull up the stop arm over here like no ad and the dealer just to take his chips and he takes the chips and throws them over ahead and just walks

Aron Price  40:36
We need to get back and get that security footage. I would go borrow these days.

Jason Gore  40:41
It would if for sure but like, we're in Davenport written Moline.

Matt Every  40:48
I've been arrested there.

Jason Gore  40:49
So is he.

Matt Every  40:51
I look Bri I look, that's where I got arrested.

Aron Price  40:54
Damn cops.

Jason Gore  40:56
Cars, the pile of debris. So we're there. We're there. And I don't drink very well. I haven't had a drink in 12 years because my my buddy Casey one day and I just kind of quit with him. But if you can't keep a body like this by drinking, buddy. So we're there and they're like, they looked at me and like, Will you will you escort him out? I'm like, no problem. So I grabbed them. He takes one step outside and the cops are there to arrest him. So for drunken public

Scott Riley  41:29
Can't do that?

Matt Every  41:31
I guess that I think there's been quite a few people get arrested there.

Aron Price  41:35
Yeah. It's got to be some sort of deal going on. There was an internal investigation.

Jason Gore  41:40
Yeah, might need FBI.

Matt Every  41:42
He would always come whenever whenever whenever he was working for me, he would always say, you know, you just got to hit your putts harder. Hit your putts harder. That was his go to Line was it your putts harder. It's like gore doesn't hit his putts hard enough. You got to hit your putts.

Aron Price  41:58
He didn't attract attention. He would say quality but he's the guy and everyone would come up to him but he wasn't. So he's like Yahoo. And they're funny. I'm not taking him away from them. But he wasn't like that he was didn't need to do that.

Matt Every  42:10
He's kind of like off the grid.

Jason Gore  42:12
He is kind of off the grid. He's gone from like, but he's always been that way. Yeah, he's gone to love golf got he loves golf. He still does. I mean, he's still he's got like a kid that he's kind of like looking after like, a young golfer. And he's like, I want you to take him in for like a week and just go practice with him. I'm like, Dude, I don't have time to see like, I don't have time to do laundry right now. You just want me take this kid and it just like so. But that pet Fox he? He does is this.

Scott Riley  42:43
I've seen that. Yeah,

Matt Every  42:44
you've seen that. I've seen that video. The Fox just comes in his backyard and he like feeds it out of his hand.

Jason Gore  42:49
Yeah, just gets like these, you know, there's those like, cut up pieces of steak. Like that's the junk that you buy at the grocery store. And he'll just lay it out just put it in his hand this fox comes up grabs it goes back feeds or kids come back. It's like, just laying there sitting there like hanging out. It's grandma's rent.

Aron Price  43:07
I'll ask random question is the par three course at Hamilton farms when I was with you there, we didn't get to play it. How good is it? It's awesome. Everyone says the number one

Jason Gore  43:15
it's well it's I think it's the only USGA course rated par three in the country. look good. What's the longest haul? The average home? The average whole length is 187 yards. Okay, so it's legit. Yeah, that doesn't sound fun at all. Like 240 I think is the longest haul I could be

Aron Price  43:31
as crazy as equestrian has everything. Yeah, the United

Jason Gore  43:34
States equestrian teams are and I've never ever seen a horse there. It's the

Aron Price  43:38
Did you round up any horses up there in the question.

Jason Gore  43:41
I just pay for my wife and daughter and you and Matt Jones.

Aron Price  43:46
Johnson.

Matt Every  43:47
It's an expensive hobby.

Scott Riley  43:48
That's another enticement to get you down to Florida.

Matt Every  43:51
Palace people

Jason Gore  43:52
All the jerseys do jerseys pretty good. It's pretty pretty popular. But everybody's like how do your kids play golf and like now like, your daughter doesn't play golf. Oh, my God wasn't expensive enough for her.

Scott Riley  44:05
Well, it's good to have you down here in Jacksonville. Love hearing about that new role very much needed in the PGA Tour. And thanks for taking time out of your day to come. Come hang with us in the garage. 

Jason Gore  44:18
Thanks for having me.

Aron Price  44:18
Thanks, Jason. Cheers.