Without context, these words may seem absurd, the only way Jason Caron can describe his last five months.

“What do I need to do now? This is ruining all my dreams. “I have to play golf now.”

He said this with a heavy dose of sarcasm because Caron still can’t understand how he went from a loving life as a Long Island club pro to earning a full card for the first time by playing in the season finale at the PGA Tour Champions next week. Any tour in 16 years.

Frankly, there is equal parts joy and surprise.

Caron, The River Mill Club’s 52-year-old head professional, finished fourth at the Senior PGA Championship in late May. He parlayed that glorious week into several PGA Tour Champions events, one of which was a tie for third place. And then he won a few more times, including a tie for fourth.

On Sunday, he shot 68 at the Simmons Bank Championship, finishing third, and narrowly advanced to the 36-person field at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship to be held in Phoenix next week. This comes with a full card for 2025; it’s the ultimate side hustle he never even looked for.

“I never thought about playing anything, to be honest,” Caron said upon arriving home in Oyster Bay, New York, on Monday. “I never wanted to go to Q-school, it never occurred to me. I went and played golf (in the Senior PGA) and it turned out pretty good.

“I have no idea how this happened,” he said. “This shouldn’t happen to me. When I was done they told me I was in the top 36 and I said, ‘Huh? How can this be?

What Caron gave up in 2009, after 10 years and 231 tournaments, was chasing a tour card; He spent two years on the PGA Tour and the rest on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour. Towards the end of the run, she met LPGA player Liz Janangelo at an art gallery. They got married and both decided to use their skills to teach.

Caron went to Siwanoy Country Club as an assistant, his wife went to the nearby Country Club of Purchase, and it wasn’t long before the River Mill Club hired them both. They have the best of both worlds, two daughters and careers in golf. And they can compete – the Metropolitan division is known to have the best players of all the PGA of America divisions.

Caron traveled to Benton Harbor, Michigan, for the Senior PGA Championship, competed all week and finished tied for fourth. This was the beginning of one of life’s little surprises.

“If you lined up 100 golfers to tell me which one would finish in the top 36 at the PGA Tour Champions, it wouldn’t be one of those 100 golfers,” said longtime friend Brett Quigley. “It’s not that he wasn’t good enough, it just wasn’t on his radar. He’s been at Mill River for 10 years. He and Liz do phenomenal work. They love life there.”

“Jason has always been a great player,” Quigley said. “It just shows you the fine line between doing it and not doing it.”

It didn’t even occur to Caron to do this until Benton Harbor. Two weeks later, he learned he was the seventh alternate at the PGA Tour Champions event. As Caron was about to tee off at the Long Island Open, he heard from a friend that he had a good shot at qualifying. He flew to Wisconsin, placed last and tied for 31st.

He was the fourth reserve at the Rogers Charity Classic in Canada, finishing in a tie for third. Jim Furyk impressed enough to grant him an exemption to the Champions event in Jacksonville, Florida, and Caron finished fourth. And he continued.

He played in only nine of 27 tournaments (earning $616,243) and still reached the season finale; Here he will fight against Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Vijay Singh.

“To finish the Champions Tour in the top 36 is no small feat,” Quigley said. “To do this in a limited number of events is no small feat. And what to do when working as a club professional? The chances of this happening must be very small. Very impressive.”

And yes, he is still a club professional. This is still my dream job. This was pure fantasy.

Caron said Quigley gave him an idea of ​​what the 2025 schedule would be like and he could already see the possibilities. Coming out of the New York cold, The River Mill Club’s opening day is usually the first week of May. There should be about six tournaments he can play in, and that’s before some of the majors he’s currently participating in.

There was strong support from the club. He played at Mill River when he wasn’t needed and could get in.

“They were nice about letting me do this,” Caron said. “I got a lot of messages from members about my results. I think they liked it. It’s good for me, my family, and the Mill River family.”

For a club pro who thought he had given up on the touring life for good 15 years ago and had little interest in finding it again, it was nothing short of a joy ride.

Maybe it’s different with the free pass — “I already have a great life at home,” he said — and Caron can’t help but wonder if playing for the love of the game, rather than as a job, makes a world of difference. difference.

He had no idea where this was going, he just knew he couldn’t chase her like he once did.

“I don’t think I don’t have a job in Mill River,” he said. “We have two little kids. I don’t want to be chasing a white golf ball when I can watch my girls grow up.”

The best of both worlds just got better.

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