Sean O’Hair and Jason Gore Capture Wins

It was a feel-good kind of weekend for the PGA and Nationwide Tours as fan favorites Sean O’Hair and Jason Gore each won.

For Sean O’Hair, playing in his rookie season on the PGA Tour, this victory locks up a two-year exemption, invitations to the majors (including the British Open in four days), and the respect and admiration of everyone in the world except for his father. We need not repeat the story here, but we will remind those who have forgotten: Sean O’Hair’s father made him sign a contract when he was 17 guaranteeing his dad 10% of his future earnings. He once called Sean “pretty good labor” on a TV special. Yeah, that guy. Glad you remember now.

Jason Gore, who less than one month ago played in the final pairing Sunday at the U.S. Open this year (and shot an 84), picked up his fourth career Nationwide Tour victory, outdueling Doug LaBelle II down the stretch to win by one at the Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport, WV. Gores rounds of 69, 66, 68, 68 put him to -17, and the five-foot par putt he holed on the last after coming up woefully short with his first putt netted him $108,000 in prize money and into seventh place on the Nationwide Tour money list.

LaBelle used a fairway wood to hole a putt for eagle at the par-five 15th to get to -18 but bogeyed the next two holes for a 6-under 66. Gore eagled the 15th twenty minutes later to take the lead for good. Bubba Dickerson, the 2001 U.S. Amateur Champion, finished third at -15. Chris Couch finished fourth to seize the #1 spot atop the Nationwide Tour money list, knocking Troy Matteson (T12) from his perch.

O’Hair, who held the third-round lead at the Byron Nelson Classic earlier this year before faltering on Sunday, came into Sunday’s round looking up at former Deere winner J.L. Lewis, who held a commanding three-shot lead. O’Hair’s final-round 65 was good enough to hold off a surging Hank Kuehne and a slipping J.L. Lewis for his first PGA Tour victory in only 18 career starts. O’Hair will turn 23 tomorrow.

The final four holes proved critical in deciding the outcome of the tournament. Sean O’Hair played them relatively steadily, carding three pars and a birdie at the par-five 17th. J.L. Lewis birdied 15 and 16 to get to -16, then bogeyed the 17th after going long with his second, hitting a horribly scooped pitch to the fringe, and then three-putting from 35 feet or so. Coming to the 18th at -15, he needed birdie and instead bogeyed after finding the water left of the green with a 7-iron.

Hank Kuehne, who hit driver all day and hit nearly every fairway, did not find the fairway at 15, but did find the trouble left of the green. His bogey there – and a routine birdie at 17 – got him to -15 coming to the 18th, where he blasted a drive 375 yards and was left with 94 yards to the pin. Hank averaged 30’7″ on shots from 75-100 yards for the week – next to last – and didn’t fare much better here, putting the ball in the fringe behind the hole. He missed the 24-footer for a playoff, and O’Hair, who’d been waiting for half an hour, was victorious.

O’Hair may not make the trip to St. Andrews for the British Open – for which this victory qualifies him – but dude, c’mon! It’s the frickin’ British Open! At St. Andrews! I wish you all the best, but if you’re not on the PGA Tour three years from now, you might never get this chance again. And didn’t a relative unknown win the last two British Opens? Get your arse to Englad!

Michelle Wie, hey, I had hoped you wouldn’t make the cut, and you didn’t. You fell apart coming home on Friday and that was that. You’re now 0-for-3 in trying to make the cut in men’s tournaments. Go win something, then try again, OK? But until then, play against the ladies. You’ve made your splash. Now show us that you can swim, eh?

And to Marc O’Hair, I have but one thing to say: ha ha ha.

Nationwide Tour: National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic

Pos  Player                Tot    R1    R2    R3    R4    Tot
1    Jason Gore            -17    69    66    68    68    271
2    Doug LaBelle II       -16    69    70    67    66    272
3    Bubba Dickerson       -15    69    68    67    69    273
4    Chris Couch           -14    68    70    67    69    274
T5   Cliff Kresge          -13    70    65    73    67    275
T5   Nathan Green          -13    72    69    67    67    275
T5   Bubba Watson          -13    69    70    67    69    275
T5   Kevin Gessino-Kraft   -13    68    69    68    70    275
T9   Kris Cox              -12    65    71    72    68    276
T9   Tom Scherrer          -12    70    70    67    69    276
T9   Dan Olsen             -12    66    69    67    74    276

PGA Tour: John Deere Classic

Pos  Player              Tot    R1    R2    R3    R4    Tot
1    Sean O'Hair         -16    66    69    68    65    268
T2   Robert Damron       -15    65    68    69    67    269
T2   Hank Kuehne         -15    68    66    67    68    269
T4   Mark Hensby         -14    70    66    70    64    270
T4   Wes Short, Jr.      -14    66    67    71    66    270
T4   J.L. Lewis          -14    64    65    69    72    270
T7   Hunter Mahan        -13    63    68    74    66    271
T7   Shigeki Maruyama    -13    68    63    72    68    271
T7   Richard S. Johnson  -13    65    68    68    70    271
T10  Kevin Stadler       -12    72    63    69    68    272
T10  D.J. Trahan         -12    68    69    67    68    272
T10  Jeff Brehaut        -12    66    70    66    70    272
T13  Esteban Toledo      -11    70    67    69    67    273
T13  Todd Hamilton       -11    68    67    70    68    273
T13  Matt Kuchar         -11    71    67    67    68    273
T13  Jonathan Byrd       -11    70    69    70    64    273
T13  Heath Slocum        -11    68    69    67    69    273
T13  Carlos Franco       -11    68    68    67    70    273
T13  Craig Bowden        -11    65    68    68    72    273

Photo Credit: © AP.