Gore Becomes Card-Carrying Member of PGA Tour

Jason Gore of Valencia tied for 14th in the PGA Tour Qualifying School at PGA West in La Quinta and earned his playing card for next year.

Gore, a graduate of Hart High and Pepperdine, shot 69-69-63-72-69-69--411, 21 under par, in the six-day event that ended Monday. Stephen Allen of Australia finished first at 65-69-65-65-68-68--400.

“I’m relieved and elated at the same time,” said Gore, who earned PGA playing privileges on his third attempt in qualifying school. “When I shot 63 in the third round I knew I really had a chance. I went from something like 38th to seventh.

“I didn’t play very well the next day, but I didn’t shoot myself out of it. After that, I just tried to stay aggressive but at the same time not do anything crazy. What I’m really proud of is that I didn’t make a double bogey all week.

“When I made a six-foot putt for par on the last hole, I thought, ‘Whew, it’s finally over.’ ”

Gore has earned spots in a few PGA events through local qualifying and lost out in a playoff for the final spot in the Nissan Open when it was played at Valencia Country Club in 1998.

Being a rookie, he still might be left out of some events, but he will play as many events as possible on the West Coast Swing that starts next month. He also has permitted himself to think about the Master’s at Augusta, Ga., in April.

“I’d like to play the Nissan if I can get in,” he said. “I think I’ll be able to get in at Tucson and Pebble Beach, and maybe the Buick [at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla] and in Hawaii. I might get a sponsor’s exemption somewhere.

“Augusta has been on my mind. It’s always been my dream, like everyone else who plays golf. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but this gets me one step closer.”

Jeff Sanday, a graduate of Cal State Northridge, tied for 45th at 68-72-65-71-70-73--419 and earned a Buy.Com Tour card.

Brian Hull of La Canada and USC shot 69-72-68-72-74-71--426 to tie for 103rd and Chad Wright of Ventura and USC tied for 120th at 69-72-73-70-70-76--430 to earn conditional Buy.Com Tour cards.

CROSS-COUNTRY

* Seniors Mark Nevers of Oak Park High and Laura Jakosky of Agoura have been selected as Ventura County runners of the year.

Nevers placed 11th in the West region championships at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut on Saturday, second in the state Division IV final and third in the Southern Section championships on Nov. 18.

Jakosky, county runner of the year as a junior, placed 25th in the West regional, sixth in the state Division II final and second in the Southern Section championships.

Debra Sharp of Santa Clara and Ken Reeves of Nordhoff were selected coaches of the year.

The Santa Clara boys won their first state and Southern Section Division V titles and their first outright Frontier League crown.

The Nordhoff girls won the Southern Section Division III title, placed second in the state meet and won their ninth consecutive Frontier League championship.

MISCELLANY

* The first Paul Sutton Charity Golf Classic will be held Thursday at Cascades Golf Club in Sylmar.

Sutton, a former athletic director and boys’ basketball coach at Providence High, died of colon cancer in August last year.

Jeff Cirillo of the Colorado Rockies and Jeff Suppan of the Kansas City Royals are expected to attend.

The event benefits the National Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Contact: Dana Sutton, (805) 583-3848.