Updated

Updated · Fox News · Aug 10

Michael Block Disqualified After Leaving Seniors Event Mid-Round and Taking 2-Stroke Late-Tee Penalty

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Aug 10

Michael Block Disqualified After Leaving Seniors Event Mid-Round and Taking 2-Stroke Late-Tee Penalty

Q: What really caused Michael Block's bizarre disqualification in Scotland after a controversial delay with fans?

Michael Block’s disqualification was caused less by the late tee-time penalty and more by a botched withdrawal procedure after he stopped playing in the final round. Block was penalized two shots for arriving late to his tee time at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship, something he admitted was his own fault after being delayed taking photos. He then struggled badly, shot 43 on the front nine, and left the course after 12 holes. The dispute is over why he left and how he reported it. Initial reports said he simply walked off, possibly frustrated with course conditions, without telling anyone. Block denied that. He said he had aggravated a pre-existing left-wrist problem while hitting out of bushes around the 10th hole, told his playing partners he was withdrawing, and got a ride back from a man in a European Tour jacket. The Legends Tour’s ruling makes clear why the case became a disqualification rather than a withdrawal. Tour officials said Block “left the course before completing his round and without completing the necessary process of advising Tour officials of any injury or illness.” Under that interpretation, he did not formally retire because of injury; he failed to complete the round properly and was recorded as disqualified. So the real cause was a combination of three things: he was late to the tee, he quit mid-round citing a wrist injury, and—most importantly in the tour’s eyes—he did not notify an authorized official correctly before leaving.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 10

Block was disqualified from the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship after leaving during the final round in Scotland before finishing and without properly notifying tour officials of any injury or illness.
The Legends Tour said he failed to complete the required reporting process, while reports also said he arrived late to his tee time and was assessed a 2-stroke penalty.
Block later said on Instagram he was only "a couple of seconds late" because he was taking photos with volunteers, then told Golf Digest by text that he had hurt his wrist on the 10th hole and had informed his playing partners.
The episode drew outsized attention because Block, the PGA professional who became a fan favorite at the 2023 PGA Championship, was playing the senior event on a sponsor's exemption.