South OC PGA Golf Professional Michael Block Wins 2nd PGA Pro Player Of The Year

MISSION VIEJO, CA — Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club's PGA Head Golf Professional, Michael Block, has won his second consecutive PGA of America Professional Player of the Year, according to a recent news release.

Block joins a long list of talented PGA professionals to win the prestigious award and adds to his trophy case. He was recently named the 2023 Rolex Southern California PGA Player of the Year for the 10th time in his career and sixth straight.

He claimed the 2023 Section Championship, his fourth time winning the Southern California PGA Professional Championship, according to the release. He also became the second Southern California PGA Member to receive the prestigious honor last year, joining Jeff Freeman (1999), and becomes the first SCPGA Member to win it twice. He is now the eighth PGA Professional in the award's history to claim that honor in back-to-back years, the announcement said.

Block became a household name for golf aficionados during the 2023 PGA Championship after shooting a 70-70-70-71 (one over par) to finish in the top 15 at the Oak Hill Country Club PGA Championship Golf Tournament in May.

"The storybook finish was highlighted with a final-round ace on the par-3, 151-yard 15th hole that exploded on national television and went viral on social media. He finished the year with 1,352.50 points to sit atop this year's points list and win the award over the best competitive PGA Professionals," according to a spokesperson from the PGA.

Block released a statement about the honor of a second acknowledgment by the PGA.

"It's very surreal for this to happen at 46-47 years young. I'm not really playing any differently than I always have. It just happened at the right moment this year. It's not like I found some secret code or something. It happened to be where the course set up well for me. I read the greens nicely. The fairways were firm and fast. Everything lined up at Oak Hill, and I'm not expecting to do that ever again. At the same time, if it happens again at any event at all, I'll be very happy."