THE MODERATOR: Jason Caron is with us at the 2025 Senior PGA Championship. Jason, what are your thoughts on your third round today.
JASON CARON: It was a challenge. It was windy, very windy at times. Pin locations were tough. The golf course played extremely hard. I hung in there really well today. Pretty proud of myself with that.
I've been -- over the past year, I've been finishing off a lot of really good rounds with some late birdies, which is good.
The par on 17 might be the best par I had this week. The lie was not great. I don't know if you guys could see it, but it was a little shot from here to the camera, and I kind of just hit it, and it came out perfect, luckily, and made par there.
But very pleased with the way I've played all week. I think we spoke early in the week that if you could be under par for the tournament or even par would be a great score. Yes, it's great.
Q. It's been a year; are you used to playing with guys like Harrington, or do you still catch yourself saying, this is where I am?
JASON CARON: Yes and yes. I do feel comfortable because, like I was just saying earlier, I'm really at peace with where I am in my game, in my life, and everything just seems to be molding into what it's supposed to be, really. To play with these great players, it is -- I was talking to Ronan, his caddie, and saying it's so much fun playing with him. He doesn't say a lot. Paddy doesn't say a lot. But just watching him, it's like, how they can hit a bad shot and nothing changes, the way they look, their demeanor, the way they walk, nothing. It's kind of neat that see that firsthand instead of seeing it on the TV.
Q. When you look at the leaderboard and there's major winner after major winner, how cool is it to be among that group in a big tournament like this?
JASON CARON: A year ago, I definitely would have said, whoa, this can't happen. Now that I've played, let's just say, maybe 20 events, I feel much more comfortable. I look at it and I go, listen, it's going to be what it's going to be. If I play my golf and if I play well, it could finish high up there, and it's happened already.
I think deep down, I know it could happen. Will it happen? I have no idea. But yeah, I feel pretty comfortable with it.
Q. You said you feel good because it's the way it's supposed to be. What exactly does that mean, and was there a point where it wasn't the way it was supposed to be?
JASON CARON: Yeah, I think when I was younger I wanted it so much and so bad, and I think when you're younger, I wasn't married and had kids and all that. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to, let's say, make it, if you will, on to the Tour, and I did make it on the Tour. But I never even dreamt bigger.
Now I'm kind of like, listen, I have everything I need in my little home area is great, and to come out here and just let it happen -- I think a lot of people think that way, too, that that's maybe the reason why I've played so well is because I have such a great life at home that this is just kind of -- if it goes well, it goes well. If it doesn't, I still have a great job at Mill River, got a healthy family and can watch my kids grow up.
Q. On the 17th you were talking about the chip shot. Before that I think Harrington made his chip shot and he went underneath it. Did that add a little extra angst to your situation?
JASON CARON: A little bit because, again, the shot -- if there was anything worrisome it was if the ball came out a little too fast because there was a little ridge, it almost went up the hill and then it would go away. Then it would have been somewhat of a problem because then you've got to putt back up the hill but then it's going to go away. For the ball to come out the way it did, though, was awesome.
Q. Is Julia the youngest one?
JASON CARON: Yeah.
Q. I asked her if she knew you were this good, and she said no. Is that part of it, is that just icing on the cake to this, that they can see you play and not just around Mill River?
JASON CARON: Exactly, and the innocence of them, right? It's just like they see you, and as soon as -- I birdied 16, Julia came running over to the ropes and she said, daddy, you're in first. It's so cool to see how they react, to see how their mom or their dad is playing. Liz has played in -- I don't know, it's like 10 -- I think she's played in 10 majors, and she played in one when she was pregnant, I believe, with Caroline and maybe one after she had Caroline.
They didn't know the championship style events that we had played in before until last year, and they were both big enough to kind of understand it a little bit, and now here we are in our second one. So it's been fun.
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