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Jay Don Blake had one goal as his career started to wind down around the turn of the century.
Reach 500 starts on the PGA Tour.
The American had played a smattering of events in the early days of his professional career before earning his card in 1987. Over the next 17 years, Blake would average 28 events a season, winning once at the 1991 Shearson Classic.
Going into the 2004 campaign, he needed just 18 to reach his target. As it was, he only played 14. Still a few years shy of being able to join the senior ranks, Blake continued to try and chip away at his dream.
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He managed to get into the 2005 BC Open to take his tally to 497 – and it was there he would stay as he embarked on a successful Champions Tour career.
But then, at the age of 54, he came through a sectional qualifier for the 2013 US Open at Merion and a first major start in a decade.
Four hundred and ninety eight. Tick.
Then there was another long wait – five years, to be precise – until he received a sponsor’s invite into the 2018 Barbasol Championship.
Four hundred and ninety nine. Tick.
And that is where it looked like the end.
Until now.
Just shy of his 66th birthday, Blake has been handed – quite literally – an invite to this week’s Black Desert Championship.
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Not only that, the tournament – which sees the PGA Tour return to Utah for the first time in 60 years – will be played just a few miles from his lifetime hometown of St George.
And not only that, it all came as a complete surprise.
Posing for photographs with his family at the Black Desert Resort, Blake was given a certificate confirming the offer.
“This certificate of exemption,” Blake read, pausing to choke back the tears as he realised what was happening, “is provided to the recipient honouring their 500th start on the PGA Tour, hosted at the Black Desert Championship.”
According to the PGA Tour, only 6% of players who have made more than 20 starts have gone on to reach 500.
Still emotional, Blake said that to be part of a the first PGA Tour event in St George has been “a dream” since he was “a little kid”.
65-year-old Jay Don Blake will make his 500th career TOUR start in his home state this week, playing on a sponsor exemption @BDChampionship.
The Utah native was overcome with emotion when he was surprised with news while surrounded by family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/ygSC3oiyWw
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 8, 2024
There won’t be a dry eye in Utah when Blake gets underway alongside Wilson Furr and David Bradshaw at 3:14pm on Thursday.
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