(January 13, 2021) – Liz Janangelo Caron had a banner amateur career in Connecticut winning five consecutive Connecticut Women’s Amateur Championships from 1997-2000, three consecutive Connecticut Women’s Open Championships from 2003-2005, played on the 2004 U.S. Curtis Cup team, and qualified for three U.S. Women’s Open Championships. Janangelo Caron was the 2001 AJGA Player of the Year, a four-time First Team All-American at Duke and played on the LPGA Tour. In 2017 Janangelo Caron was honored by the CSGA when the Women's Player of the Year was named after her.
Throughout her golf career Janangelo Caron did it all. She played against the best and often beat the best players in the world. At the 2004 Curtis Cup Janangelo Caron picked up a crucial point in the afternoon singles helping Team USA overcome an early deficit to win the matches 10-8 on international soil at Formby Golf Club in England. Janangelo Caron played alongside Paula Creamer, Brittany Lang, Jane Park, and a 14-year-old Michelle Wie on that Curtis Cup team. In 2003 at the second of her three U.S. Women's Opens she made the cut and finished T30.
After completing her All-American career at Duke in 2006, which included back-to-back team National Championships, Janangelo Caron immediately turned professional playing on the Futures Tour (now the Symetra Tour). Less than two-years later Janangelo Caron conqured LPGA Qualifiying earning her LPGA Tour card for the 2008 season. During her career Janangelo Caron picked up two victories on the Futures Tour, both in 2007, winning the Greater Tampa Duramed FUTURES Classic and the Mercedes-Benz of Kansas City Championship.
Janangelo Caron is now a teaching professional at The Mill River Club on Long Island where her husband Jason Caron is the head professional. During our conversation she shares some great stories about how she got into golf, playing at Duke, her welcome to the LPGA Tour, her first tee jitters at the Curtis Cup, and why she still needs an ice cream everyday.
What stands out the most about your Connecticut amateur career?
It is where everything started. What stands out the most, is I remeber being a 13-year-old, a chubby 13-year-old and I remember all I liked to do is play golf and baseball. My Dad was like lets sign up for the Connecticut Women's Amateur, you are playing well so lets see. So it was more kind of a fun last second thing. Nothing that we really thought about. The second round got rained out and there you have it, a 13-year-old as your champion, and that really jump started my career as an amateur.
Then having the [2006] Connecticut Open as my first professional win jump started my professional career so Connecticut really has a special place in my heart.
After Duke you made your way into the professional circut. Did you ever question turning pro or was that always your plan?
That was always my plan, unfortunately I didn't enjoy professional golf as much as I thought I would. The travel, after after traveling for an extended amount of time all those years; junior golf, college golf, not sleeping in your same bed it was a challenge and it became lonely. I thought I would enjoy it more. It definitely had its benefits, I got to see the country, make good friends, and I wouldn't give it up for anything else in the world. It was very special to have that opportunity.
Currently you have a young family but golf still plays such a big role in your life?
Golf has such a special place in our family. My husband [Jason] is the head professional at The Mill River Club in Long Island and I am his trustworthy assistant so I am in charge of the teaching, the ladies golf, the junior golf, and it is fun to have our family involved [at the course]. The kids come frequently and attend camp. The past few years I have taken a few steps back to raise our kids Caroline who is seven and Julia who is four, they are at an age where they need me. I have been there to stay home and let my husband travel. He has played in the PGA Champioship the last two-years, at Bethpage Black and out in San Francisco [last] year [at TPC Harding Park].
So I took a step back and let him play. In the past month I passed my PGA test so I am now a LPGA and PGA Professional and I have every intention of kicking my husbands butt and working on my game. He is starting to feel good about himself so we have to work on bringing him down, kick him down the stairs a little bit and get back to the top.
