A pair of Corebridge Financial Team members enter Sunday at Benton Harbor, Mich., hoping to do something that has yet to happen since Tom Wargo, PGA, did in 1997: win the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship as a teaching professional.
Jason Caron, PGA, (-7) and Jeffrey Schmid, PGA, (-6) trail 54-hole co-leaders Ernie Els and Greg Chalmers (-10) by three and four strokes, respectively. Both of the PGA of America Golf Professionals moved into contention with hole-out eagles during the third round.
"This is just an added bonus coming out and playing with these greats," Caron said. "And to be able to compete and be where I am on the leaderboard is pretty fun."
Caron's four-under 67 Saturday was buoyed by a four-stroke improvement on the par-4 seventh hole from the second round. The Mill River Club Inc. professional was an uphill 173 yards out on the 422-yard hole. Caron hit his 5-hybrid slightly left of his target line on the blind shot and heard the crowd get louder and louder, yelling at the ball to go until his family and friends erupted, jumping up and down when he realized his ball dropped for an eagle.
MORE: 31 years ago in South Florida, Tom Wargo Made Golf History
Caron's six on the seventh hole Friday is his only double-bogey of the championship. The Greenlawn, N.Y., resident went out in four under Saturday and played even par on the back nine.
Jason Caron, PGA was sizzling at Harbor Shores today, with five birdies and a hole-out eagle! He currently sits at -7 for the Championship so far!#SrPGAChamp | @MetropolitanPGA pic.twitter.com/x3hBCXhEGM
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 25, 2024
Caron is playing the week with house money, having gotten into the senior major as an alternate from qualifying in October. Starting Saturday morning after finishing his second round in the dark due to a weather delay, he still felt tired from the quick turnaround. He focused on trying to double his three-under score during moving day, which Caron beat by a stroke.
Instead of imagining winning the event, Caron is focused on creating memories with his family.
MORE: Meet the Corebridge Financial Team Competing in the 2024 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship
"I hope not [thinking about winning] actually because I think then I probably won't sleep that well," Caron said. "I just want to go have fun. Again, I'm trying to look at my kids as much as possible just to say, hey, that's what this is really about truly, and not thinking what I could do or what this would do for me."
Jeffrey Schmid holes out for 🦅 on #14! 👏#SrPGAChamp | @iowapga pic.twitter.com/G8AyVgYtFo
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 25, 2024
Schmid carded a one-under 70 Saturday thanks to his second two over four holes on the par-4 14th. He holed out from the fairway on the 455-yard hole, asking the ball to go before dropping in. The Brown Deer Golf Club teaching professional has been in contention all week, posting a five-under 66 to start the KitchenAid Senior PGA.
"Just trying to keep, stay in the moment," Schmid said on Friday. "I'm driving the ball so frigging good I always have a chance to make birdies."
