Is Michael Block playing in the 2024 PGA Championship?

The PGA Championship Is back in Kentucky as the tournament makes a return to the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville with the action commencing on Thursday, 16 May.

Over the years, the Valhalla Course has hosted three PGA Championships (1996, 2000, 2014) along with 2008′s Ryder Cup.

PGA Championship qualification criteria

To be eligible for the PGA Championship, golfers must meet specific criteria, which may change yearly and allow exceptions in exceptional circumstances.

Winning the tournament in the past five years or any other three major championships during the same period qualifies a golfer for the tournament.

Similarly, securing victory in any of the PGA Tour’s flagship events, such as The Players Championship, WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Genesis Invitational, within the past year is also valid. A golfer can also earn a spot by winning any PGA Tour event between the previous year’s PGA Championship and the current year’s event.

Alternatively, finishing in the top 70 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings from the previous season, finishing in the top 20 in the last year’s PGA Championship, finishing in the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour Finals (for players who didn’t qualify for the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs), allowing for the previous year’s season-ending Tour Championship, or being selected by the PGA of America as a special exemption also qualifies a golfer.

Club professionals can secure a spot in the PGA Championship by finishing in the top 70 of the PGA Professional Championship or by being selected by the PGA of America as a special exemption. It’s important to note that these qualification criteria are subject to change each year, and exceptions can be made for exceptional circumstances.

Block is back

Golfing fans are pleased to see the return of Michael Block to the PGA Championship and it was in May 2023 that the 47-year-old American endeared himself to the golfing world with a laid-back and unpretentious manner that won over the fans at the Rochester course.

For the final Sunday round, Block was paired with Rory McIlroy and made history with a hole-in-one late at the 15th hole, a shot that left Block seemingly feigning disbelief as the gallery chanted his name. He ended up 15th in the 2023 tournament and thus earned an invitation to play at the 2024 competition.