Michael Block
Personal information
NicknameBlockie
Born (1976-06-15) June 15, 1976
Reno, Nevada, U.S.[1]
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight210 lb (95 kg)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceMission Viejo, California, U.S.[2]
SpouseVal[3]
Children2[1]
Career
College
StatusProfessional
Professional wins6
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipT15: 2023
U.S. OpenCUT: 2007, 2018
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Michael Block (born June 15, 1976) is an American professional golfer. Having spent most of his career working as a club professional in Southern California, he received attention after making the cut and finishing in the top 15 at the 2023 PGA Championship at the age of 46. After making the only hole in one of the tournament during his final round, Block finished in a tie for 15th place, which was one of the highest finishes for a club pro in decades, earning him an automatic invitation to the following year's competition.[4]

Biography

Block was born on June 15, 1976, in Reno, Nevada, growing up first in Davenport, Iowa, and then the St. Louis area of Missouri.[2][1][4] During his adolescence, he played golf in Bellerive at the Bellerive Country Club 2 miles (3.2 km) from his home,[5][6] before graduating from Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri, in 1994.[3][4][7] He attended Mississippi State University and the University of Missouri–St. Louis, playing college golf at both, before receiving a degree in golf course management from the San Diego Golf Academy.[2][4]

Block was the assistant club professional at The Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert, California, from 1998 until 2004, before becoming head club professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, where he charged $150 per hour for lessons.[8] He competed in the 2007 PGA Tour Q-School, but did not pass the second stage. Prior to the 2023 PGA Championship, Block played in 25 PGA Tour events, making the cut in four of them, while winning the Southern California PGA Player of the Year award nine out of ten years from 2012 to 2022.[2][9] Block's career includes wins at the 2001 California State Open,[10] three Southern California PGA Championships (2017, 2018, 2022),[11] and the 2014 PGA Professional National Championship.[5][12] He also played in the 2015 and 2022 PGA Cups for the USA team, winning the latter.[13][14]

He received wider attention after making the cut at the 2023 PGA Championship, the only club professional to do so; during the second round of the tournament, Block recorded birdies at three of his first five holes to move into joint-second place, before dropping three shots in two holes and finishing the day at even par.[9][15] Another even-par 70 on the third round, for which he was paired with Justin Rose, saw Block move into a tie for eighth place after 54 holes.[16] In his final round, playing alongside Rory McIlroy, Block scored a hole in one at the 15th hole on his way to a +1 final score; this score tied him for 15th place,[17] earned him $288,000 in prize money (his previous top check was $75,000 for winning the 2014 PGA Professional Championship), and won him an automatic invitation to the 2024 PGA Championship.[4] He was also given a sponsor's exemption for the following week's Charles Schwab Challenge,[18][19] where he finished last.[20] The RBC Canadian Open also offered Block an exemption.[21] Block did not qualify for the U.S. Open in 2023 after failing to make the cut by two strokes at the Canadian Open.[22][23]

Amateur wins

  • 1996 Southern Indiana Invitational, Owensboro Intercollegiate[24]

Professional wins (6)

Results in major championships

Tournament200720082009
U.S. Open CUT
PGA Championship
Tournament201020112012201320142015201620172018
U.S. Open CUT
PGA Championship CUT CUT CUT
Tournament20192020202120222023
PGA Championship CUT T15
U.S. Open
  Did not play

"T" = Tied
CUT = missed the halfway cut
Note: Block has only played in the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open.

U.S. national team appearances

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Michael Block – Profile". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Five Things to Know: Michael Block". PGA Tour. May 19, 2023. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Held, Kevin S. (May 22, 2023). "Parkway Central grad scores hole-in-one at PGA Championship". Fox 2. St. Louis, Missouri. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Parkway Central High grad Michael Block has epic run in PGA Championship". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. May 22, 2023. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "PAA News Summer 2018". Parkway Alumni Association (PAA). Summer 2018. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023. See left column on page 6.
  6. ↑ Mayes, Warren (August 9, 2018). "Parkway Central graduate Block hits first tee shot of the 100th PGA Championship at Bellerive". West Newsmagazine. Chesterfield, Missouri. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Parkway Central High Colts (PCH)". Chesterfield, Missouri: Parkway Schools. May 2023. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  8. ↑ Morse, Ben; Harlow, Poppy; Sidner, Sara (May 22, 2023). "'My wife's going to make me charge more': Michael Block jokes about hourly rate for lessons after PGA Championship fairytale". CNN. Archived from the original on May 23, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Stafford, Ali (May 19, 2023). "PGA Championship: Who is Michael Block? Introducing the club pro in contention at Oak Hill". Sky Sports. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  10. ↑ "120th California State Open". Bluegolf. June 19, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Michael Block Southern California PGA Results". Bluegolf. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  12. ↑ "2014 PGA Professional National Championship". Golf Channel. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  13. ↑ "27th PGA Cup Matches". Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  14. ↑ "US stave off GB&I fightback to retain PGA Cup". Professional Golfers' Association. September 18, 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  15. ↑ Higham, Paul (May 19, 2023). "US PGA Championship 2023: Justin Rose challenges, Michael Block makes headlines". BBC Sport. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  16. ↑ Prise, Kevin (May 20, 2023). "Michael Block authoring a blockbuster at PGA Championship". PGA Tour. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
  17. ↑ "2023 PGA Championship Leaderboard". PGA Tour. May 21, 2023. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  18. ↑ Bradshaw, Joe (May 22, 2023). "US PGA Championship: Michael Block steals show with stunning hole-in-one at Oak Hill". BBC Sport. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Michael Block: Club pro's stunning PGA Championship performance capped with final-round hole-in-one". Sky Sports. May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  20. ↑ Cradock, Matt (May 27, 2023). "Michael Block Finishes Dead Last in Charles Schwab Challenge Missed Cut". Golf Monthly. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  21. ↑ Higham, Paul (May 22, 2023). "The Michael Block Fairytale Story Continues As PGA Pro Gets Canadian Open Invite". Golf Monthly. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  22. ↑ Carruthers, Ed (June 6, 2023). "US Open Final Qualifying - Who Made It and Who Missed Out?". Golf Monthly. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  23. ↑ Peter, Josh (June 6, 2023). "How PGA Championship breakout star Michael Block and son fared at US Open qualifying". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  24. ↑ "2021–22 Men's Golf History & Records Book" (PDF). UMSL Athletics. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
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