He is not a chip off the old block. He is Michael Block.
And – like it or not – he’s back in the spotlight.
Block, the polarizing teaching professional from Southern California, turned 50 on June 16. To make the occasion, he has received a special gift: the exclusion of a sponsor in his first PGA Tour Champions The event, the Dick’s Open, is being contested this week in Endicott, NY, about two hours southeast of Rochester.
In Friday’s opening round at En-Joie Golf Course, Block made the most of that opportunity, carding seven birdies and a bogey en route to a one-under 66 that put him in a tie for fifth, three shots behind leader Dickie Pride.
It was a great senior debut for a man who doesn’t have a tour card but has a following – supporters and detractors. That prominence — and the tournament’s proximity to Rochester, where Block enjoyed his first 15 minutes of fame three years ago — made him a natural choice for Dick’s Sporting Goods, the event’s title sponsor.
Block’s clear opening round was all the more impressive given the butterflies he confessed to feeling earlier in the week at the prospect of competing against players he grew up idolizing. The nerves, he said, were even stronger than he had experienced in his majors appearances.
“For me to come out here today and shoot what I did the first time out, the pressure I had, everybody’s looking at me,” Block said. “I got all the haters out there, who, you know, I love you guys. Here you go. I hope you enjoy your 66.”
You may recall, Block first gained national attention with a breakout performance at the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester, where, with a mix of loud and terrifying shrugs, he wowed the crowds by battling deep into the weekend. Initially hailed as an everyman’s hero, Block was later criticized for being what some considered a nuisance. In the eyes of critics, Bllok’s confidence too often crossed into shrewdness. Of Block’s self-appreciating comments, none grabbed more than his claim that if he had Rory McIlroy’s He would be “one of the best players in the world”.
Some fans haven’t let it go. The block knows well that not everyone loves it. But in New York this week, Block chose to emphasize the positive, saying he hopes to throw a “block party” in the form of crowd support.
Block has played in 10 championships, most recently in the 2026 championship, where he missed the cut. Earlier this month, he qualified for the 2026 US Senior Open, earning his spot via a 3-for-2 playoff.
This tournament takes place next week at Scioto Country Club in Ohio and has already seeped into the Block’s subconscious. In typical Friday speeches, Block turned a news conference into a Freudian séance by describing a dream he had about the senior director.
“My family knew this for a while. I literally, and I hate you for this, I don’t care. But I literally 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 playoff last week, it was three guys for two spots to get into the playoff to get into the US Open finals. … I said, ‘This is it,’ and I went like a little bird. I’m going to do my best. It might not happen, but I had a good dream about it.”
First things first though: Dick’s Open. Lockdown in Saturday’s third round at 10:29 local time, in a group with Freddie Jacobson and Darren Clarke.
