Michael Block is going to the PGA Championship again.
The head professional from Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif., finished tied for third Wednesday at the PGA Professional Championship in Port St. Lucie, Fla., the annual tournament featuring PGA of America professionals from all across the country. The top 20 finishers earned spots at the PGA Championship in two weeks at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C.
Block, 48, shot 64 in the opening round and remained on the first page of the leaderboard throughout the 72-hole event. He shot 4 under for the tournament, 11 shots back of winner Tyler Collett from Vero Beach, Fla., who finished at 15 under.
Block as golf fans will recall, was the darling of the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. He was in the top 10 after the second and third rounds and made the only ace of the tournament in the fourth round while playing alongside Rory McIlroy. His relatable background made him a fan favorite.
ACE: Michael Block, PGA.
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 21, 2023
You can't write this stuff.#PGAChamppic.twitter.com/CNKIYft7Qc
He finished the championship in a tie for 15th place, the best finish for a club professional in the event in decades, and earned an automatic berth to the 2024 PGA, where he missed the cut.
Block left New York with as much fanfare as the tournament winner, Brooks Koepka, and made a number of media appearances. He received an exemption into the next PGA Tour event, the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he missed the cut in last place.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Michael Block Qualifies for Upcoming PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
