Jason Caron Heads Back to Day Job as Low PGA of America Golf Professional

Jason Caron, PGA, has to miss work tomorrow at Mill River Club for an understandable reason: he missed his flight while contending at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.

The Corebridge Financial Team member returns to his day job Tuesday after his five-under 66 Sunday etched himself in KitchenAid Senior PGA history. Caron earned low PGA of America Professional honors after finishing tied for fourth at 12-under.

It's the best finish by a PGA of America Golf Professional since Roy Vucinich's T4 in 2002 at Firestone and second-best all-time to Tom Wargo's 1993 victory.

"To be able to come out here and compete definitely shows me deep down that I can hang still a little bit," Caron said.

The 51-year-old treated the week in Benton Harbor, Michigan, like a family affair. His wife, daughters, dad, and mom all watched outside the ropes, while Caron's brother Nate caddied for him. They witnessed Caron's electric start Sunday at Harbor Shores, where he began three strokes off the 54-hole lead and started making up ground quickly with birdies on his first two holes.

"Nothing makes it easier than making a birdie, right?" Caron said. "And then all of a sudden it seems like I made another one and another one. Just kind of kept going."

Even though Caron last played full-time on the PGA Tour in 2003, the 24-year PGA of America member appeared calm like a tour veteran in contention. He birdied six of his first 10 holes to charge to 13 under, keeping his eyes off leaderboards after figuring he was in the thick of it with his strong start. He was two shots ahead of eventual winner Richard Bland as the Englishman made the turn.

The Corebridge Financial Team member's momentum cooled on the back nine as Caron had his first bogey of the day on the 433-yard par-4 14th. He shot even par on the inbound side to secure the low PGA of America Professional honors. While he didn't win the Alfred S. Bourne trophy, Caron won new appliances for his kitchen courtesy of KitchenAid and laudatory praise from both of his groupmates, three-time PGA Tour winner Chris DiMarco and three-time European Tour winner Richard Green.

"He played fantastic today," DiMarco said. "He really did. He just hit a lot of fantastic shots."

"He hits it good enough to be out on the Champions Tour full time," Green said.

Even with Caron's performance and peers' acknowledgment of his talent, he has no plans to try to play week to week. He would take on a sponsor's exemption or maybe try to qualify for something, but what matters most is the time he has with his family.

"Maybe things would be different if I didn't have kids," Caron said. "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."