ST. LOUIS, MO. - Former University of Missouri-St. Louis men's golfer Michael Block (1996-97) recently qualified for the 96th PGA Championship by winning the 47th PGA Professional National Championship at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
 
Block won the event by erasing a four-stroke deficit and defeated Jamie Broce, the head coach of the men's golf team at the University of Toledo, in a two-hole playoff to earn the title on June 25.
 
The PGA Championship will be held August 7-10 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky.
 
UMSLTritons.com caught up with Block to talk about qualifying for the PGA Championship and to find out what he's been up to since his days at UMSL.
 
You spent the 1996-97 season at UMSL on the men's golf team. Why did you choose to come to UMSL and what are some of your favorite memories of that season?
I had spent my freshman year at Mississippi State and then I was offered an opportunity by then coach, Jim Niederkorn to come play for UMSL. I had played in tournaments with Dustin Ashby (men's golf, 1993-97), who was on the team so I thought it would be a great fit because I would be able to come back to the city that I graduated from high school and my parents still lived in Chesterfield. I was lucky enough to win the first tournament that I played in as a member of the UMSL golf team in Indiana and as the rookie on the team it was great to show the other guys that I belonged on the team. We were also lucky enough to be able to play Missouri Bluffs as our home course, which was a great test of golf along with having a great practice facility which I know helped improve all of our games during our time at UMSL.  I'll never forget the trips in that white van with the team that year. We had all types of personalities on the team, including Dustin and Nick Jacobs among others, which made the trips probably a little more fun than they should have been.
 
What path did your life take after leaving UMSL?
I headed out to San Diego for the Golf Academy following my time at UMSL. After graduating from the Academy, I immediately got a job at The Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert, Calif., as an Assistant Golf Professional. I spent six years at the Lakes and then moved to Orange County, Calif., to work at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, where I have been the Head Golf Professional at the club for 10 years. I received my PGA of America membership in 2012 and since then I have been competing in Southern California PGA section tournaments while working at the club and giving lessons. I married Val Block in 2004 and now have two sons, Dylan (9) and Ethan (7).
 
How has your golf game improved since your UMSL playing days?
I've obviously gotten a lot older which has made me a much smarter player. This has limited the big mistakes on the course which keeps away large numbers on the score card. I have also improved my swing over the years with the help of one of the fellow instructors here at the club.
 
What does it mean to you to have qualified for the PGA Championship and what are you looking forward to the most in playing in the event?
This will be my second major championship and is the biggest tournament of the year for the PGA of America which I'm a member of, so this will be one of the highlights of my career, no matter how I play. Never in my life would I have ever guessed that I would have played in two of the four major championships. I still have quite a few more years in my career so hopefully I can make even more in the future!
 
What have been some of the other highlights of your professional career in addition to winning the PGA Professional National Championship?
- Won the 2001 California State Open
- Played in the 2007 US Open at Oakmont Country Club
- Qualified for and made the cut at the 2013 Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles and also had a LA Open record two eagles in the first round. (PGA Tour Event)
- Qualified for and made the cut at 2014 the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego. (PGA Tour Event)
 
Due to winning the PGA National Championship it not only qualified me for the PGA Championship, but also six more PGA tour events over the next 12 months. I also have a long term goal and that is playing in the 2018 PGA Championship which will be held at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, which is within a mile of my old house. I would love to see all of my old teammates and friends if I was lucky enough to qualify.
 
What would your advice be to collegiate golfers, especially at a Division II level, that want to have a successful professional career such as yourself?
Put yourself around positive people, not only in the game but in life in general. Your coach and teammates should be nothing but positive reinforcement for your game and mental attitude. I've seen great golfers lose their game when having negative influences and at the same time I've seen average golfers turn into one of the best players in the world (such as Zach Johnson). I wasn't even the number one guy on my team when I was at UMSL. Dustin Ashby was the team's top golfer and I learned a lot from him and I still use a putting tip he gave to me almost 20 years ago. I do not care if it is a Division I or Division II school, everything happens for a reason, just learn from your mistakes and never lose your confidence!