Michael Block couldn’t believe his ears when he heard his playing partner for the final round at the 2023 PGA Championship was Rory McIlroy.
If you’d told the then 46-year-old he would be in contention for major glory come Sunday afternoon at Oak Hill prior to the event, his ears would have ignored that too.
With three rounds of 70 and a 71, Block impressively finished in the top 15 and made a stunning hole-in-one on the par-3 15th hole in the final round.
After this tournament, Block attracted deals with TaylorMade, Cisco, Raising Cane’s and Michelob Ultra, and his life and profile changed rather dramatically.
In fact, he played so well that he earned an invitation to the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla, where he had another chance to make more headlines.
Block was one of 20 PGA professionals to qualify for the feature event in May 2023 via the PGA Professional Championship, where he was tied for second.
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This route has worked a dream for Block as in 2025, as he played solidly once more and qualified for the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, the next major after McIlroy completed the grand slam at the Masters.
He came in a tie for third at the PGA Professional Championship to qualify for his eighth major championship. Block shot rounds of 64, 71, 75, 73 to safely finish in the top 20.
He grew up in St. Louis and played college golf for Mississippi State. After transferring to the University of Missouri, he became an assistant pro and then the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in California.
Arroyo Trabuco was designed by former Open champion Tom Lehman and Casey O’Callaghan. It was reported that Block charges $125 per lesson and $500 if you want a nine-hole playing lesson.
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Throughout the PGA Tour season in 2023, a handful of players took part in walk-and-talk features with US broadcasters, and they chose the perfect man for a chat with Block during the first round of the 2023 PGA Championship.
“The old Arnold Palmer, ‘Swing your swing,’ is a huge thing for me,” he revealed. “I don’t teach one way. I teach what that person has the capability of doing and learning, and that’s been a huge benefit of teaching for the last 25 years for me.
“I’m not trying to teach anybody Tiger’s or Rory’s swing, because that’s just not going to happen. So you’ve got to be realistic with what you’ve got. That’s a big thing. I try to be honest with my guys.
“The first couple years, you’re out there and you’re winging it. And telling everybody the same thing. Once you get confident in your teaching and your playing, it just gets better.”
He has only made five cuts in his 32 PGA Tour starts, and had never made the weekend in his six previous major appearances for Oak Hill.
Access for PGA professionals is one of many reasons why the PGA Championship is so special. In 2025, the PGA Professional Championship was held at Port St. Lucie Golf Club in Florida from April 27 to April 30.
312 players competed, attempting to survive two cuts to earn a spot at the PGA Championship. The winner, Tyler Collet, also gets into six PGA Tour events in the 12 months after.
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