Jason Caron had just finished his PGA Championship opening round Thursday at Bethpage Black after having carded an impressive even-par 70 to stand tied for 17th — pretty good for a Long Island club pro — when someone asked what he thought about having a lower score than Tiger Woods.
“Can I get a picture of that?’’ Caron asked with a laugh of his even-par and Woods’ 2-over.
Caron, one of six Met-Area club pros among the 20 of them in the field this week, shot the lowest score among the locals. Rob Labritz, the director of golf at GlenArbor in Bedford Hills, shot a 5-over 75. Brian Mackey from Hollow Brook, shot 74. Tyler Hall (Upper Montclair) shot 72, Alex Beach (Westchester Country Club) shot 77 and Danny Balin (Fresh Meadow) shot 78.
Caron said he feels like he’s playing with house money.
“I have nothing to lose here,’’ he said. “I’m playing really well, so I just kind of go with how I feel.’’
Caron is still riding the confidence from a swing tip his wife, Liz (formerly Liz Janangelo), gave him last year. She’s a teaching pro with him at Mill River and an accomplished player, having played on the LPGA Tour and participating in the Curtis Cup for women amateurs, plus winning a collegiate national championship with Duke and a former No. 1-ranked amateur.
Caron, who said he has played the Black Course 30-35 times, said he planned to go home and have some beer, wine and dinner after watching his 6-year-old daughter Caroline play soccer late in the afternoon.
“I’m not changing anything,’’ he said. “If I make the cut, obviously that would be success. I’ve been playing really, really well. If I can just go and play and not think about the consequences, everything will work its way out the way it’s supposed to.’’
Labritz, a three-time New York State Open winner on the Black, played his 70th competitive round on the course Thursday and wished it was better, saying he was “disappointed in a 75.’’
Labritz had the honor of hitting the first shot of the tournament with his 6:45 a.m. tee time. He had done it once before, in 2013 at Oak Hill, and called it “an honor.’’
“I was nervous on the first tee, I’ve got to admit,’’ he said.
Labritz said he woke up on his own at 4:29 a.m., one minute before his alarm was set to sound, and arrived to the course at 5:30 a.m. He got to the first tee some 10 minutes early because “I wanted to breathe it in, soak it in, get used to it, try to calm my nerves.
“I’m not in this arena all the time,’’ he said.
Labritz estimated he had close to 100 friends and family following him, many of whom were wearing T-shirts reading “Rob’s Mob’’ on the back.
“I’m just excited to be here and I’m going to take it low [Friday],’’ Labritz said. “I’m going to learn from what I did [Thursday]. I want to play well [Friday] because I want to be here for the weekend. I want to experience the weekend here. And I’m going to play well. I see it. It’s going to happen.
“What does this mean to me? It means everything. You’re going to choke me up. This is my life, my job, my love, my first love, my second love. I’ve been divorced once. I’ve never divorced golf.’’