Michael Block’s PGA Tour Champions debut in June ended in a 54-hole disaster at the Dick’s Open, when he made a triple bogey to finish T9. Afterward, Block, who played the event at the invitation of a sponsor, said he was frustrated with his finish not only because it took him out of title contention, but because it made his overall goal less attainable.
“That cost me a lot of points, a lot of money, a lot of everything, which is very frustrating. I’m just here to try to make my way possibly on this tour and that hurts a lot,” said Block.
As a non-member, Block needed to make seven starts for his earnings to become official and make him eligible for the PGA Tour Champions postseason and senior circuit membership. This week at the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic, Block is making his seventh start, meaning as long as he completes the final round on Sunday, he will be eligible for the postseason. The $326,486 Block has made in six starts would already be good enough to put him well into the top 72 cutoff for the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs.
“It’s spiraling, which is good,” Block said of his PGA Tour Champions career path on Saturday. “Have a good time. My biggest prerogative now is to enjoy. And to be honest, nobody says this while they’re playing, but I say: ‘Commit, have fun, enjoy the moment.’ to learn the way, but I need to say it out loud.
But while Block has already checked off one senior tour goal, he has another one in sight Sunday in Allentown, Pa. After shooting a bogey-free 63 in Saturday’s second round, Block will enter Sunday with a one-shot lead over Stephen Alker.
“To be here and drive again in one of these events is amazing,” Block said. “I just hope I learned from what happened before. Going into tomorrow, I have no idea who I’m playing, but I hope it’s a couple of my guys and we have a good time. That’s it.”
“What happened first” was that Block led on the rookie at the Ally Challenge, but Alker made a flurry of birdies down the stretch to take the title. while Block stumbled to a T3 finish. It will be Block and Alker again on Sunday. But Block is convinced that he can avoid a repeat of what happened to the Ally.
“Just be you,” Block said of what he learned from his loss to Alker. “Like don’t try to be the calm Michael. Quiet Michael doesn’t work. Michael having fun works. Michael being quiet, Michael trying to be someone he’s not, doesn’t work. That’s what I’m going to do tomorrow.”
Three years ago, Block burst onto the scene at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill. Now, the pro club at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club is headed to the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs after just seven starts.
“I didn’t really think it was a possibility with such a short season (after turning 50 on June 15) that I could make the playoffs, but that was my goal – and now it’s going to happen. It’s incredible,” Block tElder Randy Youngman of the Orange County Register earlier this week.
And he could get there with a win already under his belt if he can hold off Alker and the rest of the challengers on Sunday.
