Michael Block makes major return

Michael Block. Remember him? 

Well, he’s back. The viral sensation and fairytale hero of the 2023 PGA Championship will return to the bright lights of a major once again this month.

The 48-year-old American will head to Quail Hollow to tee it up in the 2025 edition of the tournament that whipped up such a frenzy around him two years ago.

That’s after Block finished third at the PGA Professional Championship, a 72-hole stroke play event that sees the top-2o finishers achieve their major dreams.

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The brutally competitive event features 312 players from across 41 different PGA sections and qualifiers must survive two cuts to advance.

Block came out of the gates firing with a seven-under 64 at the Ryder Course at PGA Golf Club in Florida, ultimately finishing 11 shots behind the winner Tyler Collet with rounds of 71-75-73.

But with his tee time secured at Quail Hollow, Block can now prepare for his third straight PGA Championship start after missing the cut last year at Valhalla.

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He didn’t even need to enter the PGA Professional Championship last time around after his top-15 finish at Oak Hill ensured he would be back once again.

During that surreal week at Oak Hill, Block was handed a Sunday pairing with Rory McIlroy and made a slam dunk hole-in-one on the 15th hole in an unforgettable final round.

An unknown teaching professional from Southern California became an overnight superstar, invited to chat shows around the world, hanging out with A-list celebrities and even getting sponsors’ invites to PGA Tour events.

Of course, the Block stock has fallen since then, but prepare for some reminders of those unfathomable moments at Oak Hill as we get ready for the next major in two weeks’ time.

Ben Parsons is the Senior Writer at bunkered and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.