Jason Gore sat down in front of his computer in his Stevenson Ranch home and was set to try the new wifi. His wife, Megan, created a unique network name which he knew instantly belonged to their house. It read: “Augustabound.”
Gore – a local favorite who played in amateur SCGA tournaments and at Hart High and Pepperdine – has done many things in his professional career, like playing in the final group on the final day of the U.S. Open.
However, he’s never qualified to play in the Masters at Augusta National.
His wife instills confidence and a calm in him, and this was just another byproduct of Megan Gore’s belief in her husband. The two have formed a successful partnership and love story.
“She’s the most consistent person I’ve ever met,” Gore said. “She’s the same every day. Nothing seems to faze her. There are no bad moods. Being around a professional golfer, that’s one of the most emotional occupations you can have. If anything ever goes wrong, I don’t have to stress because I know she can handle it. She just does stuff that makes my life so much easier.”
The Gores, who were married in 2003 and renewed their vows in Hawaii earlier this year, have two children: Jaxon, 11; and Olivia, 7. Being a mom and wife of a professional golfer has its benefits, thrills and challenges. Gore can be on the road for weeks at a time, but he uses Facetime with his family every day when he’s playing golf and they’re not at the tournament.
Money comes only with made cuts. PGA Tour cards aren’t guaranteed for careers.
“In this life, you just have to find your middle ground and stay there,” Megan Gore said. “The highs come as quick as the lows. It’s better the more even-keeled you are. Playing golf is the same thing. You can’t get super upset or super happy. For the person who wins a tournament, the next day starts another tournament. There are 151 people who can be upset and one can be happy.”
When the kids are out of school in the summer, they join Megan in the car and drive around the country, making stops at tourist attractions along the way to watch the 41-year-old Gore play golf. They’ve been everywhere from Wichita to Mt. Rushmore.
“We’ve been so lucky,” Megan Gore said. “For us, we’ve been able to see the world, and our kids have been able to see the world. Jaxon was 10 days old when we took him on the road. Olivia was two weeks. The kids have grown up seeing all different places. They love to travel.
“We’re lucky Jason has had the long career he’s had. We’ve seen it pan out different ways for friends. That he still can do it and loves it and it’s still his passion, that’s been great. He’s always said it’s a hard way to make an easy living. It’s one big adventure.”
Megan Gore, 40, understands Gore’s job. She plays golf maybe once a year, but she’s an athlete, too. She rides in competitions in horse shows, something she does on weekends.
“She’s ultra-competitive,” Jason Gore said. “It helps that she’s gotten good at it. It’s tough to be competitive when you stink. She’s an unbelievable rider. Just watching her, when she’s on the back of a horse, she changes completely. Her personality goes from docile to killer. It’s really cool to watch. She understands what it’s like to be under the gun. She understands the highs of winning and lows of losing. She gets it.”
The high school sweethearts have teamed up on the golf course as caddie and golfer. When they were dating, Megan Gore would join Jason as his caddie on the Nationwide Tour when she was off for the summer from her teaching job. There’s not a lot of money to be made on mini-tours, but they remembered having a blast.
“I loved it, but I brought nothing to the table,” Megan Gore said with a laugh. “I can clean a club and show up on time and be a good source of cheap labor. I was in great shape back then. I was carrying that big bag. I learned a lot about golf. When he hits a shot now, I don’t watch the ball, I watch him. I was so used to watching his reaction. Now, I know. I follow him and I’ll turn back and watch him. I know if it’s straight, left or right. It was a really fun time.”
Olivia is the golfer of the family and enjoys going with her dad to the driving range. Sometimes, they hit balls by the light of the custom-made golf cart, a gift from friend Kevin Harvick, a Nascar driver.
Jaxon prefers playing basketball and anything that has to do with ninja warriors. He has autism and is high-functioning. The Gores embrace and love his special qualities and plan to start a foundation for children with autism in the next few years.
For now, Megan Gore helps her husband with charity appearances, social media, travel coordination and other such things. And of course, she’s always there for support.
She loves the lessons her family has learned and experienced through golf.
“Golf has taught the kids to be humble,” Megan Gore said. “They see that when golf is good, their dad gets a lot of attention. When golf is not good, that attention is fickle. You learn to work hard. If they struggle or want to quit, we tell them it’s taken him 41 years to get this good, and he’s still getting better. If this is what you want to do, you have to stick with it. Whatever they do, they’re getting the value of this.”
