When I hit 50 I had not yet reached 1,000 GS but I did my best to optimize all my choices based on my prior experience of playing (my main account is currently Level 50(136)).
You can see all my choices detailed along the way! I feel pretty confident that most new players would not have have the same insights to make efficient choices so it’s not surprising to me that someone just hitting Level 50 would have a Gear Score < 1,000. Is it really surprising to you?