Michael Block Books PGA Tour Return With Latest Big Win

Michael Block will return to the PGA Tour in January at the latest after a fifth Southern California PGA Championship victory

Michael Block takes a shot at the Charles Schwab Challenge
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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Everyone's favorite PGA pro has been at it again, with Michael Block's latest victory earning him a return to the PGA Tour.

Block claimed the Southern California PGA Championship title by four shots, which earned him a $15,000 first prize but a whole lot more.

As the 2023 PGA Championship hero also earned a place in the field for the 2026 American Express at La Quinta Country Club in January.

But Block could be back on the PGA Tour before then, as his win here also gives him a place in the Monday qualifier for the World Wide Technology Championship in November.

Block's victory at the SCPGA Championship was his fifth at the tournament, and means a sixth appearance at the American Express.

The 49-year-old shot 63-66-71 to complete a wire-to-wire victory by four shots at the event staged at the Arnold Palmer Course at Mission Hills Country Club and the South Course at Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert.

“I think there were 186 players or some insane amount of PGA professionals who came out and played,” said after his victory.

“There has been a huge insurgence of really good players into the section who can really compete on the PGA Tour level. They have been pushing me hard."

So Block could be back on the PGA Tour circuit as early as November, when he will try and qualify for the Fall Series event at El Cardonal at Diamante Cabo San Lucas.

But he will definitely be back for his 35th PGA Tour event at the American Express next year.

Block's fame blew up after a top 15 finish at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, which then got him a flurry of PGA Tour invites to build on his new-found fame.

He played in the Charles Schwab Challenge, RBC Canadian Open and World Wide Technology Championship in 2023 directly after his PGA fairytale run - which included that final round hole-in-one playing alongside Rory McIlroy.

He also played in the Asian Tour’s International Series England in 2023.

Four more PGA Tour appearances have followed in the last couple of years, along with a trip Down Under to play in the Australian Open - where he achieved his best result of T27.

Invites have dried up a bit since and he played in just the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial this year along with the PGA Championship, so will be relishing his return to the big time whether it comes in November or January.

Paul Higham
Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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