Michael Block is back in PGA Championship contention after 2023 stardom

Michael Block’s name was a polarizing one the last time he was in the public eye at the PGA Championship. He played in two US Opens and four PGA Championships before making his first cut in the 2023 PGA Championship, and it was his T-15 finish that brought his name into the spotlight. With Block heading back into the shadows as of late, he burst back onto the scene on the opening day of the 2026 edition, shooting even-par to finish T-34 after the first round.

Block turned some heads early in the tournament when he went under par with a long birdie putt. He was as high as T-14, which was near where he finished in 2023, according to the Golf Channel via X, formerly Twitter.

Block party back on at the PGA? @PGA professional Michael Block makes birdie to go 1-under and T-14 at Aronimink

ESPN | @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/nmihB5mwx7

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) May 14, 2026

Block hit a hole-in-one in 2023 that started a marketing and self-appraising campaign the likes of which we haven’t really seen in golf. He did start to dial it back recently, and it seems like he is bringing a little bit more grace this time around. It might be a bit more of a feel-good story if Block, who tried to give a PGA career a chance through sponsorship exemptions in 2023 but fell short in his opportunities.

Block won the 2001 California State Open, the 2014 PGA Professional National Championship, and is a five-time Southern California PGA Champion in 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023, and 2025. The cut line for this year’s tournament currently sits at +1, meaning Block still has some work to do if he wants to build on his 2023 success and make another major cut.

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