MADISON, Miss. -- In 2005 he was a breath of fresh air. His was golf’s feel-good story of the year.

Jason Gore captured hearts with three stunning days of success at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst, playing golf at a level that came as a shock to one and all, Gore included.

Then Gore, 32, used laughter -- at himself -- as the best pain reliever after crawling home with an unsightly 84 as he plummeted from a tie for second to a tie for 49th. The sportsman-like way he handled himself pushed his folk-hero popularity to another level.

Gore, who battled through regional and sectional qualifying just to get to Pinehurst, took nothing but positives away from his U.S. Open experience. Following the axiom that good things happen to good people, he received his just desserts soon thereafter when he performed a feat no one had accomplished in the 16-year history of the Nationwide Tour.

Gore began the 2005 season with conditional status on the circuit and won three events in a row in late July and early August to earn an instant promotion to the PGA TOUR. A month later Gore, who failed to retain his exemption in two prior trips to golf’s biggest stage, grabbed his first victory in a tournament with a number that forever will be near and dear to his heart -- the 84 LUMBER Classic.

Touché.

It’s 2006 now and golf’s Cinderfella of ’05 has misplaced his glass spikes, but not his jovial, self-deprecating sense of humor. If Gore’s 2005 was a boisterous rendition of “Joy to the World,” 2006 has been more like “Silent Night.” Simply put it hasn’t gone according to plan, and Gore, whose best finish among three top-10s in 26 events is a tie for seventh at Tucson, believes he knows why.

“I was trying to be somebody I wasn’t,’’ he said after a scruffy second-round 1-under-par 71 that left him at 5-under 139 after two rounds of the Southern Farm Bureau Classic and six in arrears of leader D.J. Trahan. “I was trying too hard to live up to the expectations of being a PGA TOUR tournament winner. I thought I had to do something special every week.’’

Gore reached the conclusion two weeks ago when he returned to defend his title at the 84 LUMBER Classic. Memories of how he won flooded over him. Those recollections of sweet success banged him over the head.

Jason Gore is currently outside the top-125 on the money list (WireImage)

“I remembered all the things I thought of last year when I was winning,’’ he said. “It dawned on me that I did not have to be perfect. I remembered it was me who did that, me who got there just by playing golf and not getting ahead of myself. Now I’m in a better frame of mind. There’s no doubt my brain was affecting my game. It was a tough lesson to learn.”

The good news is, Gore does not have to stress about protecting his position in the top 125 on the money list. He owns a 2007 exemption thanks to his victory. But he certainly isn’t satisfied with his current placing at No. 120.

“I feel like I still have some work to do, something to prove to myself,” he said.

Therefore it is essential, Gore said, that he maintain his spot inside the all-exempt number. Anything less would be considered unacceptable.

“I had a pretty bad stretch during the middle of the year,” said Gore, who missed six cuts and withdrew twice in a span of 10 tournaments from the end of March through the beginning of July. “It would mean a lot to me to find a way to claw into the top 125. That definitely would be a confidence boost.”

Gore neglected to mention he was dogged by tendonitis in his right elbow for much the early part of the season. Stubbornly he refused to let the injury slow him down, something that only made it worse.

“I love to compete,” he said. “That’s what I do. It didn’t always work out and I wasn’t able to compete at my fullest, and if you can't compete at your fullest out here, you’re toast.”

“You have to be 100 percent both physically and mentally to be able to play out here with the big boys. I wasn’t. I was competing at 40 percent mental and zero percent physical. Forty and zero doesn’t add up to 200 percent.”

Thankfully, things came to a head when Gore attempted to hit a tee shot in the second round of the Bank of America Colonial in May. Painfully he broke some scar tissue and was forced to withdraw. The loosening of scar tissues and a little rest proved to be the perfect remedy.

“That was the best thing that could happen,” he said. “All of a sudden it was much better.”

That took care of the physical part. He fixed the mental side four months later. It showed Friday at Annandale Golf Club when Gore struggled with his swing. He hung tough and is in a good position to take care of the 125 business heading into the weekend.

“I took a poor ball striking round and kept it respectable,” he said. “I’m concentrating better, not getting ahead of myself. If I was in this position earlier in the year I’d start thinking about what might happen on Sunday. Or I’d get to a par 5 and think I had to make birdie. I just got into the future instead of staying in the present. That complicated everything.”

Those days, he said, are over.

“I’m back to using the old KISS theory,” Gore said with a smile.