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Jason Gore hired by the PGA Tour to be ‘player advocate’

Jason Gore hired by the PGA Tour to be ‘player advocate’

The Prince of Pinehurst is headed to Ponte Vedra Beach.

Veteran PGA Tour pro Jason Gore, 48, was named PGA Tour senior vice president, player advisor to the Commissioner in a move that was announced Friday. According to the announcement, “Gore will serve as a player advocate who will continue to strengthen the relationship between the Tour and its membership.”

“We are thrilled to welcome the Gores back to the Tour and know Jason’s work will have a profound impact on our efforts to continually serve our players and elevate our organization,” Commissioner Monahan said in a memo. “The addition of his perspective and experience in conjunction with our team’s existing knowledge will contribute greatly to this next chapter of the Tour’s success.”

Gore, who won on both the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour during a two-decade playing career, has spent the last three years in a similar role with the USGA as managing director, player relations, a role that was created to open the lines of communication between players and the association. He has been credited by everyone from Phil Mickelson to Rory McIlroy with improving the tenuous relationship that existed between the blue coats and tour pros.

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“I think about how contentious the relationship was between the players and the USGA, so much so that in 2013 there was massive talk of a player boycott at Merion, right?” McIlroy said after posting a second straight 68 at the BMW Championship. “It’s done a complete 180. It’s probably, I would say, if you polled players, I would say it’s probably one of the top two majors now in terms of how the players are treated and the feedback that they can give and Jason has been a massive part to do with that. And the team that sort of worked with Jason, too.”

McIlroy was asked if the PGA Tour needed the voice of a former player in the Tour’s upper management.

“I think so. We’re not looking for former players to run this. The players are players and management are management and they’re executives and they’re trained to run businesses and run – that’s not what we do,” he said. “I think Jason coming back into the fold, especially with everything that’s happening in the world of golf right now, I think it’s a really – I’m surprised the USGA let him go because he is so good, but it’s a great addition to the Tour.”

Gore’s seven wins on the Korn Ferry Tour are…

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