Padraig Harrington might have gained the Simmons Financial institution Championship in Arkansas, however Jason Caron was the largest winner from the PGA Tour Champions final week.
He secured standing on the PGA Tour Champions for the 2025 season, a “ridiculous” accomplishment in and of itself. Due to his T-3 end in Arkansas, Caron completed among the many prime 36 throughout the Charles Schwab Cup standings, thus incomes a card for 2025.
“I’m speechless actually, to be sincere. It’s simply bizarre to suppose that I may even get right here. I don’t even know what to say. Truthfully, I actually don’t know what to say,” Caron stated.
“This isn’t my job. I didn’t—I didn’t know if I used to be ever this good, I suppose, particularly of late. Then, swiftly, some issues began clicking. That putter that I acquired began working. I don’t know. It simply form of occurred, I suppose. I actually don’t have any phrases to let you know about what it means or something like that as a result of it’s form of stunning.”
At 52, Caron is now the Head Golf Skilled at Mill River Membership in Oyster Bay, New York, on Lengthy Island. He performed two full seasons on the PGA Tour within the early 2000s and spent 9 years battling on the Korn Ferry Tour. He additionally performed within the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, the place he tied for thirtieth—a formidable end contemplating it was his first look in a significant, not to mention close to his hometown. Seventeen years later, Caron returned to Bethpage for the 2019 PGA Championship however missed the lower. His 9-over 79 within the second spherical did him in that week.
However now, 5 years later, Caron has produced some ridiculous magic. He tied for fourth at this yr’s Senior PGA Championship, which awarded him $154,000 in prize cash and loads of Charles Schwab Cup factors. His run to incomes a card started then.
For the reason that Senior PGA in Might, Caron performed in seven extra occasions on the PGA Tour Champions earlier than this week’s Simmons Financial institution Championship. He even posted two extra top-5s on the Rogers Charity Traditional and the Constellation Furyk & Associates.
Then, this week, Caron opened up with a 7-under 65.
“[Mill River Club has] been very good sufficient to let me exit and play, and so they like that. They’ve at all times had a very good enjoying skilled. Every part form of simply snowballed this yr when it got here to enjoying. I wasn’t doing something totally different. I didn’t apply tougher, I didn’t putt extra. I simply form of like let it go and I feel that’s been the important thing to my success is simply letting it go,” Caron stated after Friday’s spherical.
“Lots of people say that you just’re most likely in such a great spot as a result of you might have such a very good job at house that that is form of like form of simply free cash, if you’ll, proper? So simply form of play free. I feel it actually has labored fairly effectively this yr.”
He started the week ranked 53rd within the Charles Schwab Cup standings, so he wanted a top-3 end result to complete among the many prime 36. The highest 36 qualify for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship and earn standing on the PGA Tour Champions in 2025.
A 3-under 69 and a 4-under 68 adopted, which put Caron at 14-under for the championship. Solely Harrington and Y.E. Yang completed higher.
“Hear, I performed nice the primary day, performed good [on Saturday], performed excellent [on Saturday], and [on Sunday] I used to be enjoying—I used to be enjoying good. I used to be by no means nervous, I used to be simply enjoying golf,” Caron stated after the ultimate spherical.
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“Had an unlucky break on one of many holes; I hit it left into the bunker, and it form of popped out. It was a troublesome lie, simply skanked it up there and two-putted for my bogey. I’m like, ‘Hear, you could possibly nonetheless hit good pictures coming in, you could possibly transfer your standing up a little bit bit, that may be fairly good.’ Subsequent factor you recognize, I made a birdie, made a par, made a birdie, and made one other birdie. I imply, I virtually chipped in on the final gap.
“No, I actually, I’m not going to say I didn’t need this to occur, however I simply didn’t suppose it may ever occur.”
Take into account among the names that didn’t end among the many prime 36 after final week in Arkansas: 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir, 2001 PGA Champion David Toms, 1997 Open Champion Justin Leonard, and Swedish Ryder Cup stalwart Robert Karlsson.
However Caron did.
“It’s simply form of mind-boggling to suppose that—if everybody got here to my work and noticed what I’ve been doing the final 10 years, you’d say there’s no probability this might occur. And all the blokes within the [Metropolitan Golf] part, truly, I ought to have a look at the digital camera and inform ‘em, you’d agree there’s no manner this might have occurred. One way or the other, it did,” Caron added.
“I feel that I’ll look again at this and simply—clearly I suppose one thing between my ears clicked as a result of I’m enjoying with Vijay Singh and Steve Alker and all these guys which might be staples on the Tour. It simply by no means actually bothered me, I suppose. I actually don’t have a solution for it. I don’t know. I actually simply don’t know what to say. I’m in disbelief, to be sincere.”
Regardless of incomes full standing on the PGA Tour Champions, Caron nonetheless plans to work his day job on Lengthy Island all through 2025. He thinks he’ll make a couple of begins on tour from January by way of early April, when the snow is gone and the golf season arrives within the northeast. He can be “again to work” by the early spring. Nonetheless, Caron will nonetheless play in and deal with the 5 senior majors all through the spring and summer time. His schedule will then unlock after August—much like this previous yr—and he hopes to play the backend of the PGA Tour Champions schedule in 2025.
However these new alternatives pale compared within the grand scheme of issues.
“Chasing the white golf ball down the green isn’t my first precedence,” Caron stated.
“My youngsters are.”
The Lengthy Island father of two completed the not possible, making it to the highest of the senior circuit this previous week. But, he stored his priorities and expectations grounded all through. He’s a father and a husband before everything, a membership professional second, and now, a touring professional third. His spouse, Liz, is an authorized LPGA educating skilled at Mill River Membership, too, so sure, golf runs by way of the household.
However that’s what acquired Caron into the highest 36 within the first place. He targeted on himself and his household, prioritizing what issues most. He didn’t apply particularly onerous, nor did he have any expectations for himself. His spouse and youngsters come first.
Every part “simply form of snowballed” from this previous spring, as Caron stated. But, by the point the snow melts away by subsequent April, Caron ought to have loads of PGA Tour Champions begins below his belt. And hopefully, relying on the schedule, his household can be part of him each step of the best way. That will undoubtedly make him the happiest man in skilled golf.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. You should definitely take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
