PHOENIX — Who knew how important a tie for 32nd place could be?
Jason Caron can tell you. That finish he posted at the 2023 Senior PGA Professional Championship earned him a spot in the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
He then went out and shot 69-70-67 before closing with a 66 to finish tied for fourth. That earned him a payday of $154,000, but more important, gained him access into more PGA Tour Champions events. Caron, 52, has played eight in all, missing just one cut and earning three top fours.
His most recent outing was a tie for third in the penultimate tournament in the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs and that punched his ticket to the season finale at Phoenix Country Club. Even better, by making the final 36, he earned a tour card on the Champions tour for 2025.
What a out-of-nowhere season for a guy who played 168 Korn Ferry Tour events and 65 PGA Tour events – his last full season there was 2003 – before deciding on a different path, moving on from competitive golf to be the head pro at Mill River in Oyster Bay, New York.
“Someone said ‘You’re playing with house money’ and that’s kinda how I looked at it,” Caron said after an even-par first round at the 2024 Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
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Back in his days as a pro golfer, there was always the pressure to succeed because, after all, everyone needs a steady paycheck. But he’s had a great job for a while now and when discussing the sequence of events, Caron makes it clear that he’s found a perspective that lets him swing freely. Reaching the final stop of the year and earning playing status next year is just the cherry on top.
“It sounds, you know, really stupid, but it really didn’t matter to me because I have a job. Mill River is where I’m supposed to be so this was all kind of an added bonus this year. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought about being here [in Phoenix]. It didn’t cross my mind,” he said. “I can honestly tell you I really didn’t think about the consequences, I just played golf and I mean, the checks, like I said, are pretty cool when you play well and to be here is like, ridiculous.”
Caron owns the golf shop at Mill River, which he said will open around May 15. That frees him up to play from January up till the season starts on Long Island. He said he’ll play the majors during the summer then ramp it up again down the stretch in the fall. Without hesitation…
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