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Michael Block, a name in the mouth of most golf fans now, is an example of golf being an unpredictable game. Despite finishing T15 on the leaderboard, Block earned something that most golfers crave for- the respect of the fans. But how did Block, a head PGA professional at Mission Viejo, California, get to the PGA Championship 2023?
Block has neither won a men's major golf tournament nor is he a Senior PGA Champion. However, he made his way to his fifth PGA Championship, courtesy of his T2 finish at the PGA Professional Championship 2023. With 20 spots available for the leading 20 golfers at the Championship, Block's first step was to find a place in the leaderboard.
How much did Michael Block earn at the 2023 PGA Championship?
Michael Block finished his fifth PGA Championship campaign at the T15 rank on the leaderboard. He tied with the likes of Eric Cole and Tyrrell Hatton. He earned the average prize money allotted to the 15th, 16th, and 17th places and took home a massive paycheck of US$ 288,333.
For other PGA Tour golfers, this paycheck might not be that huge. But for Block, it was his best earnings ever in golf. The PGA Championship 2023 was the first time that the 46-year-old golfer made the cut at any major he played (seven overall).
Speaking to Golf Monthly, the Club pro expressed his happiness after winning the amount at the second major of the season.
"Seventy-five thousand dollars, 2014, Club Professional National Championship at the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach. There was the 2001 California State Open for $4,500 for a long, long time, and when I got $75K in one tournament, I was very happy."
Michael Block had a sensational campaign at the 2023 PGA Championship
In the first major of the season, the 2023 Augusta Masters, it was an Amateur golfer, Sam Bennett, who topped the headlines. However, in the second major of the season, the PGA Championship 2023, Block stole the show with his excellent display.
The conditions at Oak Hill County Club were deemed to be tough, and it got even worse as the weather deteriorated. Block, however, had other plans, as he came and shot a 70 in the first three rounds, despite the obstacles. He managed to make the cut, becoming only the second Club pro to do so in the last two decades of the tournament.
Interestingly, this was not the end, as Block finished T8 before the final rounds and paired up with none other than Rory McIlroy. During the final round on Sunday, Block seemed to be in a different mood. He hit an amusing Ace on the 15th hole, which also happened to be the 29th Ace in the PGA Championship since 1983.
At the end of the tournament, Micahel Block received the Low Club Professional trophy, apart from the impressive paycheck. He also earned an invite to the 2024 PGA Championship.
