Orange County club pro Michael Block sinks hole-in-one at PGA Championship during storybook tourney

Michael Block, a Mission Viejo-based golf club pro whose stellar pay at the 105th PGA Championship over the weekend has shocked the sports media, added another chapter to his storybook tournament on Sunday by sinking a hole-in-one.

The 46-year-old PGA Professional dunked his tee shot on the 15th hole, sinking the first hole-in-one in PGA Championship play since 2020 — much to the delight of his paired partner Rory McIlroy. 

Block's incredible 7-iron shot came from 151 yards out on the 15th hole of the Oak Hill East Golf Course in Rochester, New York, bringing him back to even par for the tournament at the time. He's the first club pro to make a hole-in-one in club play since 1996.

"That didn't go in, did it?!" Block asked incredulously after the ball dropped into the hole. "No way. No way. Rory, did it go in?!"

Block's performance has made headlines around the nation over the last week, as he sought to become the first PGA Professional to earn a Top 10 finish in the tournament. 

He finished tied for 15th, shooting +1 over all four rounds, earning an invitation to next year's PGA Championship which will be held at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. It's the best performance by a PGA pro since 1986, when Lonnie Nielsen finished tied for 11th. 

For his performance, Block earned just under $290,000. 

"The most surreal moment I've ever had in my life," Block said while speaking to reporters. "I'm living a dream and making sure I'm enjoying the moment. Not getting any better than this — no way in hell."

This marks his seventh career major appearance and 24th PGA Tour event, but it's the first in which he's made the cut after 36 holes — thanks in large part to shooting even-par 70s on each of the first three days of tournament play. 

He earned an invitation to Rochester after achieving a Top 20 finish at the PGA Professional Championship earlier this year. 

Block, who has been referred to as "golf's common man" for the last week, is a club pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo. He has a lengthy list of accolades as a PGA Professional, earning the Professional National Championship in 2014 and being named the Southern California PGA Player of the Year nine times in the last 10 years. 

Along with the fervent support that Block has received from crowds in Rochester, friends, family and colleagues have gathered at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club for watch parties to celebrate his astounding success. 

In a few weeks, Block and his son Dylan are slated to try to qualify for the U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club.