A PGA Professional is three shots back of the lead at 2024 Simmons Bank Championship
Twelve PGA of America Golf Professionals made the cut at the 84th KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in May. Jason Caron, PGA Head Golf Professional at Mill River Club in Oyster Bay, New York, was one of them.
In fact, when he earned Low Senior PGA of America Golf Professional in the event after finishing in a tie for fourth, he not only pocketed $154,000 in prize money but won new appliances for his entire kitchen.
On Friday, Caron was at it again, posting a 7-under 65 at Pleasant Valley Country Club in the first round of the 2024 Simmons Bank Championship. That score was good enough to place him three shots back of the first-round lead with 36 holes to go in the PGA Tour Champions’ penultimate event in 2024. Caron is tied for third alongside Retief Goosen and Thomas Bjorn.
Vijay held the lead at 8 under for most of the day until Steven Alker closed birdie-eagle to shoot a 62 and get to 10 under.
Caron had five birdies over his first nine holes and posted two more on the back during a round in which he avoided bogey. He closed with five straight pars.
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Playing his ninth Champions tour event, Caron, 52, also has 65 PGA Tour events under his belt. He made 21 cuts on that circuit, good for $324,300 in career earnings.
Some of his notable victories include the 2012 Connecticut Open as well as the 2017 and 2020 PGA Stroke Play Championship.
He played college golf at Charleston Southern. His wife, Liz, was on two NCAA championship teams at Duke.
Charles Schwab Cup standings update
Caron has also vaulted from No. 53 to No. 35 in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. That would put him in line to advance to the season finale at Phoenix Country Club in two weeks where only the top 36 will advance. With Caron’s move up, someone had to slide back and that was Scott Dunlap, who was the “bubble boy” at No. 36 heading into this week.
At the top of the standings there’s been a switch, with Alker overtaking Ernie Els for the No. 1 spot in the projected standings. Els is now No. 2, with Stephen Ames still third.
