4/30/25
Michael Block turned into the biggest sports story two years ago, when he finished T-15 at the PGA Championship. Block is a PGA Professional through the PGA of America, which is separate from the PGA Tour. The PGA of America runs the PGA Championship and hosts the PGA Professional Championship every year to determine which of its 20 pros will advance to compete in the PGA Championship.
Block had qualified for the PGA Championship before, but his thrilling T-15 finish, including an ace in the final round, playing alongside Rory McIlroy, turned him into a smash hit around the sports world. Block earned multiple exemptions into PGA Tour events with his rising popularity, but failed to make the cut in all of those events. This will be the fourth year Block has played in the PGA Championship, as his T-15 finish in 2023 automatically qualified him for the 2024 PGA Championship, but he missed the cut, forcing him to go back to attempting to qualify through the PGA Professional Championship.
This year, the PGA Professional Championship was held from April 27-30 in Port St. Lucie, Florida, at PGA Golf Club. Like a traditional PGA Tour event, there’s a cut after two rounds, as the hundreds of professionals from around the United States are cut down to just 73 players this year. The third and final rounds see the field battling for one of 20 spots in the PGA Championship, and if there are ties for the 20th spot, a playoff determines who will advance.
Tyler Collet from Vero Beach, Florida dominated the week, finishing at 15-under par and won by 10 strokes. Collet started hot, with a 65 in the first round, followed that up with a 67 in the second round and a 68 in the third. An even par, 72 in the final round gave Collet the win and a spot in this month’s major championship. Collet will also receive six sponsor exemptions into PGA Tour events this season by winning the PGA Professional Championship.
Jesse Droemer from Houston, Texas, finished runner-up with a 5-under 282 for the week. Michael Block and Brian Bergstol shared third place with 4-under, 283’s.
Andre Chi from Flushing, New York, finished T-5, but his story encapsulates the beauty of the golf community. In March, Chi Monday Qualified for the Valspar Championship. Chi reaches out to Ryan French of Monday Q Info, telling French he’s “$1500 in the hole” and has only $60 left in his checking account. French got him a hotel for the night, posted his Venmo QR Code on X, and in a few days, his Venmo was at $48,300. Chi missed the cut at the Valspar, but the former DIII golfer in three months will have played in a PGA Tour event, and now a major championship.
Each major championship has its own traditions that separate it from the other four majors. The PGA Championship, including the teaching professionals, who are the backbone of golf in the United States, is a wonderful acknowledgement of the hard work those people put in every single day. They don’t get enough credit for all of the hours they put in to growing the game and helping people out.
Next year, the PGA Professional Championship will be held at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon.
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