KITCHENAID SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 26, 2024

Jason Caron

Press Conference

Harbor Shores

THE MODERATOR: All right, PGA of America golf professional Jason Caron is with us. Jason, a heck of a week for you. How would you sum it up being the low PGA of America golf professional?

JASON CARON: Wow. I don't know. I mean, like I said before, this was a trip was more for my family and about getting us together, especially with the two little ones to see me play in a major. Who knows if I can ever play in another one.

And to have it pan out the way it did is amazing really. I didn't have a lot of expectations coming in to be honest. You know, I had a really good year in '19 and '20 and had some surgery on my elbow. You just never know if you're going to really come back from it, especially at a high level.

To be able to come out here and compete definitely shows me deep down that I can hang still a little bit. And I kind of liked fact that I'm playing with everyone around my same age. You know, I think that kind of helped. But, no, it was just a great experience. My first senior major. My first senior or Champions event as well. It was really cool to be able to come out here and play with these guys and see some of the guys I grew up playing with. If you will, grew up. Or even some of the guys I watched in the past few years playing.

It was just really cool.

Q. Richard Green and Chris DiMarco were really complimentary about just how well you played out there and how you could play out here. That start you had today, was that like the dream would have it?

JASON CARON: 100%. Listen, I was saying prayers, doing everything just to say I just want to come out and play well. Nothing makes it easier than making a birdie, right? And then all of a sudden it seems like I made another one and another one. Just kind of kept going.

I just said, look, I'm going to take them as they come because it can go the other way just as quick. Something about the greens this week I think, they were just like a perfect speed for me to be honest.

I think I read them pretty well obviously because I made some putts. My brother was phenomenal. Nate was amazing with the greens and pulling clubs. We just kind of had a good time to be honest with you and just talked it out, not get too excited or quick.

I know in the past when I was younger I definitely would get quick, get frustrated. I might have shown some frustration, but the only shot of the whole tournament I was frustrated with really I think was the first day. Hit it in the bunker on 7 straight through the fairway.

I was just kind of surprised that I could pull it that far left to be honest. That was really the only shot. Besides that, I really played pretty darn good.

Q. One behind the leader. Did you see a board or have any idea how close you were?

JASON CARON: No. I figured, look, I was making a bunch of birdies. I said, look, I've got to be right near it. Just keep the pedal to the metal, and then I make birdie on 10 -- and by the way, that's the first time I hit the fairway on 10 this week. I hit it way right in the junk and hit it left twice. So that was awesome to hit that fairway. Made the hole a lot easier.

And then I hit another great shot on the next hole that just kind of hit just on the berm and just kicked through the green.

And then to have kind of a little bit of a mistake on 14 and 17, but great birdie on 16, oh, my goodness.

Q. What did you hit in there?

JASON CARON: 8-iron. It was a great little shot. Now you have the rain delay. Who knows what's going to happen. Hit a great -- maybe my best drive of the week maybe to be honest. Then the wedge wasn't so good. A little uphill, pulled it a little bit. I said, putting great. Let's just two-putt this thing and I did, so worked out nice.

Q. You had hit your tee ball at 18 and then the horn...

JASON CARON: No. We had to come back to hit the -- we were walking on the tee waiting for them to hit and the horn went off.

Q. Oh, okay. Your dad is here, your mom is here, your wife, you daughters. What does it mean to you to do it in front of them?

JASON CARON: Yeah, listen, that's probably a dream, especially now that I'm not playing full time like I did when I was young. Obviously I know they were happy when I was young playing on the tour, especially coming from Cape Cod. Small place where Jimmy Hallet played on the tour; went to my high school. Carri Wood and Sally Quinlan. She was before my time.

So four of us from one high school played the tour, which is so pretty impressive coming from Dennis-Yarmouth, Massachusetts.

Yeah, they were always proud of me then. To be able to come into a senior major now that I'm over 50 and to play this well, and especially having little kids there, I think it's really cool, yeah.

Q. What did does your club have going tomorrow, Memorial Day? Golf courses are usually busy on Memorial Day.

JASON CARON: Right. Good question. Today we had two shotguns. We had an open play in the morning and then they had the afternoon Memorial Day Scramble. Tomorrow is just open field.

Unfortunately I was supposed to be there but I won't be there. I haven't talked to my assistant if I had any set up but hopefully they understand.

Q. You don't have to rush back?

JASON CARON: I would if I had a private plane, but I've got to -- our flights, we couldn't make the flights. We're just going to stay in the house we rented this week. The lady was very nice to let us stay there tonight, and we'll figure out tonight how to get home. It is a holiday, so I think we will probably have to drive to Chicago or something.

Q. Normally take this big check and buy -- Liz said your stove is out. Apparently that's covered?

JASON CARON: Yeah. It's covered. That's going to be pretty neat. I can't wait to see what Liz comes up with when it comes to picking out stuff from KitchenAid. Again, what a great bonus that is to be a club professional and play in an event where KitchenAid is the sponsor and you make the cut and you're low professional you get a whole kitchen.

That shows very, very nicely anywhere in the world. That's pretty nice of them to do that.

Q. I think a lot of people will hear that had you won today saying that you really didn't have an interest in doing this week to week.

JASON CARON: Right.

Q. Liz describes you guys as having kind of a perfect life, right? You just happy where you are?

JASON CARON: Yeah, I love -- listen, I love what I do. Maybe things would be different if I didn't have kids. Maybe I would say, hey, why wouldn't I go out and try to play more? Having little kids and being able to watch them grow up means a lot more to me than hitting a white golf ball down the fairway. It just does.

So, listen, I love to play in tournaments. If I got an exemption into something or got to qualify into something, of course I would love to play. But it's more about family now for me and golf kind of just comes actually probably second obviously.

Maybe job is third. Don't tell the people at Mill River though.

Q. Did they watch you today? Was the membership gathered to watch?

JASON CARON: I didn't get to check all my text messages and emails, but the emails that came from Mill River was pretty busy. I think, yes, they all know. It'll be pretty neat to see everybody, maybe not tomorrow, but maybe on Wednesday.

Q. How big is the membership?

JASON CARON: We have probably roughly in the 300s when it comes to the membership, but it's just a great family membership. They've taken us in as like a family, which you can't ask for anything better. Especially in the Met Section I feel. To have my kids around during the summers. We do our camps and stuff for the kids and they can be included in that which is huge for us.