Michael Block ripped an eagle on his opening hole and kept the pressure on, finishing 7-under-par 65 to grab a two-stroke lead at the Ally Challenge in Grand Blanc, Mich.
Block, perhaps most well known for his top-15 finish at the 2023 PGA Championship, is in pursuit of his first win on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, fresh off a top-five showing last week at the Rogers Charity Classic, another high mark in his career.
Competing on a sponsor exemption, Block knows that continuing to string together strong finishes is doubly important for him.
“Top-10 is huge for me,” Block said. “If I get a top-10, it gets me into the Sanford International in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which has been a huge goal of mine because if I do get that, it will be my seventh start and that would officially put me into the official Charles Schwab Cup money list, which would get me into the Playoffs, which would get me then into Norwood Hills and St. Louis, which is where I’m from … so there’s a lot going on.”
His eagle on the par-5, 563-yard No. 1 provided a splash, but following his big round that left him at 13 under, Block was quick to credit the steadying influence of his son, Ethan, who serves as his caddie.
“Great round, consistent round,” Block said. “My son Ethan, who’s on the bag, is the level-headed human out of my family. It’s a Godsend that he’s on my bag because I’m the least level-headed human being in the world. Glad to have Ethan on the bag, he got me through it.”
Block’s steady play at Warwick Hills was notable, resulting in a bogey-free round. He added birdies on Holes 5, 7, 9, 13 and 16.
To secure his first win, Block will have to hold off a field that includes Rogers-winner and current holder of second-place Steven Alker of New Zealand.
Alker shot a 7-under 65 to match Block, going bogey-free with seven birdies to get to 11 under.
“It was nice. I felt comfortable out there,” Alker said, acknowledging his momentum. “Just start building, start feeling better with my shots, starting to drive it a little bit better. Everything just feels like it’s getting a little bit better.”
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington is three back at 10 under after carding 69. He’s alone in third place.
Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez (69) and Vaughn Taylor (72) are tied for fourth at 9 under.
Four more golfers are tided for sixth at 8 under: Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (65), Argentina’s Angel Cabrera (68), Chad Campbell (68) and Australia’s Greg Chalmers (69).