Michael Block is back. . . and to enter the first tournament of the Champions Tour
He is not an old block chip. You are Michael Block.
And – like it or not – he’s back in the limelight.
Block, a distinguished teaching professional from Southern California, turned 50 on June 16. To celebrate, he received a special gift: a sponsor’s exemption from his first PGA Tour Champions event, the Dick’s Open, which is contested this week in Endicott, NY, about two hours southeast of Rochester.
In Friday’s opening round at En-Joie Golf Course, Block took full advantage, carding seven birdies and one bogey en route to a 6-under 66 that moved him into a tie for fifth, three shots behind leader Dickie Pride.
It was a sparkling debut for a man with no tour card but a following – fans and detractors alike. That prominence — and the tournament’s proximity to Rochester, where Block enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame three years ago — made him a natural choice for Dick’s Sporting Goods, the event’s title sponsor.
Block’s intense opening round was especially interesting given the butterflies he admitted to feeling earlier in the week about the prospect of competing against the players he grew up rooting for. He said that the emotions are more intense than those he has experienced in his appearance in major competitions.
“To come out here today and record what I did for the first time, the pressure I had, everyone is looking at me,” said Block. “I’ve got all those haters out there, you know, I love you. There you go. I hope you’re 66.”
Block, you may recall, first gained national attention with a debut at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester, where, with a mix of swagger and aw-shucks shrugs, he wowed the crowds by entering the weekend. Initially hailed as everyone’s hero, Block was later shamed for being what others considered offensive. In the eyes of critics, Block’s confidence often comes down to cocksureness. In Block’s self-deprecating comments, no one disputed his claim that if he had Rory McIlroy’s strength, he would be “one of the best players in the world.”
Some fans haven’t given up on that. Block knows very well that not everyone likes him. But in New York this week, Block chose to emphasize the positive, saying he wants to have a “Block party” that will be a form of crowd support.
Block has played in 10 majors, most recently at the 2026 Championship, where he missed. Earlier this month, he qualified for the 2026 US Senior Open, earning his spot with a 3-for-2 qualifying run.
That tournament will be held next week at Scioto Country Club in Ohio and has already entered Block’s subconscious. During the regular press conference on Friday, Block turned the press conference into a Freudian session by describing a dream he had about the CEO.
“My family has known this for a long time. Actually, and they hate me for it, I don’t care. But I had a dream that I was going to win the US Senior Open the first year I turned 50,” Block said. “That’s something I’ve had in my head for a long time. When I went into that final last week, it was three guys two places to get to the US Open final. … I said, ‘This is it,’ and I went birdie-birdie. I’m going to do my best. It might not happen, but I had a dream about it so it’s cool.”
First things first, though: Dick’s Open. Block will go out in Saturday’s third round at 10:29 am local time, in a team with Freddie Jacobson and Darren Clarke.
