Back on his game, Gore punches Open ticket

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DALY CITY, Calif. -- Three years after bursting onto the scene at Pinehurst, N.C., where he charmed galleries as he surged into the final pairing in the final round, Jason Gore punched his return ticket to the U.S. Open on Monday at Lake Merced Golf Club.Gore, one of the most affable players on the PGA Tour, failed to qualify for the Open the past two years, but he strung together rounds of 67 and 73 on a cool, windy day in here to earn one of seven available spots in next week's Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego.California residents Michael Allen, John Ellis and Garrett Chaussard joined Gore at 4-under-par 140 to share medalist honors in the 86-man sectional field. Stanford sophomore Jordan Cox, amateur Jeff Wilson and tour pro Craig Barlow also qualified by finishing the day at 141.Gore was the marquee name at Lake Merced, attracting a gallery approaching 100 people during his afternoon round. Add 40,000 people, national-television coverage and the tension of Sunday at the national championship -- and now you know what Gore faced on June 19, 2005, in Pinehurst, N.C.He began that day three shots behind Retief Goosen, the other player in the final pairing. Gore shot 84 and Goosen staggered to an 81, an extraordinary dual implosion (Michael Campbell edged Tiger Woods to win)."If I wouldn't have done that on the last day, I may not have had the year I had," said Gore, who won three times on the Nationwide Tour and once on the PGA Tour later in 2005. "I learned a lot that day. It was a crash course in humility."Monday's results offered encouraging news amid a trying season for Gore. He has only one top-10 finish on tour this year (at Pebble Beach in February), and he missed the cut or withdrew in his past eight events. But his concerns run much deeper than numbers on a scorecard.Gore, 34, was diagnosed in March with Hashimoto's Disease, essentially a thyroid disorder with side effects ranging from fatigue and depression to panic attacks and migraines. He said he had a constant headache for 2 1/2 months, gained 20 pounds in nine days (after losing 25 in the offseason) and was always tired.He endured a huge scare last month at the Players Championship, where he withdrew after four holes with a racing heartbeat and uncontrollably shaking hands."That was pretty freaky, because I didn't know what was going on," he said. "I couldn't stop shaking and my heart wouldn't stop racing."Gore, who feared he was having a heart attack, needed beta-blocker pills to slow his heart rate. He subsequently endured extensive testing and learned "overmedication" caused the problem. Doctors adjusted his dosage, and he has felt better since then. He said his condition is treatable with medication."I feel great, back to 100 percent," he said. "It's been a long three months."Gore shot a bogey-free, 5-under 67 in the morning, to post the lowest first-round score. His personable demeanor was on full display, too: Gore chatted amiably with his caddie -- Domingo Jojola, a 21-year-old who plays at the University of San Francisco -- and routinely made eye contact with spectators who offered complimentary words.Among notable players to advance to the Open in other sectionals were Davis Love III (who will make his 18th consecutive Open start), Carl Pettersson, Jesper Parnevik and Nick Watney. Pettersson was the medalist in one Columbus, Ohio, sectional, which featured many PGA Tour pros who played in the Memorial.(Contact Ron Kroichick at rkroichick@sfchronicle.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)