Michael Block Fires 63 for One-Shot Lead at Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic

Michael Block Fires 63 for One-Shot Lead at Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic

The club professional will play alongside Steven Alker in Sunday’s final group again, having seen the New Zealander overturn his two-shot advantage at the Ally Challenge in August.

Michael Block
  • Michael Block shot a bogey-free 63 to lead the Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic.
  • Steven Alker is one stroke behind after a bogey-free 65.
  • Richard Green sits third at 9-under after a second-round 67.

Michael Block’s bogey-free 7-under 63 was the tournament’s lowest round, giving him a one-stroke lead going into Sunday’s final round of the inaugural Jefferson Lehigh Valley Classic presented by Sodexo at Lehigh Country Club.

After opening with a 66, Block carded his lowest 18-hole score on PGA Tour Champions to reach 11-under 129. Steven Alker is his nearest challenger at 10-under, with Richard Green another stroke back.

Block birdied the opening two holes before making five more gains at the 10th, 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th to come home in 5-under 30. His previous best round on the senior circuit was a 65 at the Ally Challenge in August.

 

Block has now played 20 consecutive holes without a bogey since dropping a shot at the par-3 16th on Friday, a hole he birdied on Saturday. He began the day two strokes behind the three first-round co-leaders.

“I don’t look at the leaderboard, I don’t look at my scorecard, I just play golf and that’s it, to be honest,” Block said.

“It’s really cool to have people out there because they take my mind off of what I’m doing. It helps for me a lot because I’m not focusing on where I’m at in the tournament or what I’m shooting that day.

“The support I have from the fellow Champions Tour players is amazing. The relationships I’ve gotten in six events, slash seven, is crazy, and I really appreciate those guys. These guys have been living the Tour life, the PGA Tour life and Champions Tour life for, you know, 20, 30 years, and I’m just out here — and they know my scenario. I’m out here as a club pro, and being out here for my seventh event in my life, and they really support me, which is really cool. Trust me, it helps a lot.”

 

Another final-round chance for Block

Block is playing on a sponsor exemption and seeking his first PGA Tour Champions victory in his seventh start. With a win, he would be the fifth player to earn a maiden title on the circuit this season.

His only previous 36-hole lead came at The Ally Challenge, where he held a two-shot advantage over Alker before closing with a 74 to finish tied third. Alker overturned that deficit to win by three strokes, and the pair will again play together in Sunday’s final group.

Block’s Ally Challenge result remains his best on PGA Tour Champions, alongside top-10 finishes at the Rogers Charity Classic and DICK’S Open. The head PGA professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, turned 50 on June 15.

His tie for 15th at the 2023 PGA Championship was the best finish by a club professional in that championship since 1986.

Alker stays within reach

Alker made birdies at the 3rd, 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th in his bogey-free 65. Third in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, his last three starts have all ended with him in first or second place.

The New Zealander has been inside the top-5 after 12 of his last 14 rounds, including seven in succession.

“Kind of started slow,” Alker said. “I mean, it was just kind of like a little bit like yesterday, just started slow, just kind of built and built and just kind of took my opportunities where I could.

“Didn’t birdie the par-5s today, which was disappointing. But yeah, I’m very pleased just to be in the position I am.

“I’m in a good place right now, just mentally don’t feel like I have to push things. I’ve been working on keeping the bogeys down a little bit. End of the season there’s bogeys jumping in, but I think I’m doing pretty well at managing that. As I say, just take your chances when you can. It’s been nice. I’m starting to putt well and for the most part I’m driving it in the fairway. When you combo those two things, it’s a good combination.”

Green and Armour lead the chase

Green followed his opening 64 with a 67 to sit third at 9-under. The 55-year-old’s only bogeys through 36 holes came at the 14th and 18th on Saturday as he pursues a second PGA Tour Champions title after winning the 2025 Rogers Charity Classic.

Ryan Armour moved from tied 18th to fourth at 8-under with a 64 containing seven birdies and one bogey. The rookie is seeking his first senior victory in his 14th start, having shared the 36-hole lead at the PURE Insurance Championship two weeks ago.

Tag Ridings shot 65 to join Y.E. Yang and Robert Karlsson, who both returned 69s, in a tie for fifth at 7-under. All three are chasing their first win of the season.

Charles Schwab Cup leader Stewart Cink carded a bogey-free 67 and is tied 13th, seven strokes behind Block.

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Pos.PlayerTo ParR1R2Total
1Michael Block-116663129
2Steven Alker-106565130
3Richard Green-96467131
4Ryan Armour-86864132
T5Tag Ridings-76865133
T5Y.E. Yang-76469133
T5Robert Karlsson-76469133
T8Ricardo Gonzalez-66668134
T8Tim O'Neal-66569134
T10Mark Hensby-57065135
T10Alex Cejka-56867135
T10Kevin Sutherland-56768135
T13Stephen Ames-47066136
T13Stewart Cink-46967136
T13Brett Quigley-47066136
T13Kirk Triplett-46868136
T13David Duval-46769136
T13David Toms-46769136
T13Thongchai Jaidee-46571136
T20Miguel Angel Jiménez-37067137
T20Chris Thompson-36869137
T20Greg Chalmers-36869137
T20Bo Van Pelt-36869137
T20Jerry Kelly-36770137
T25Stuart Appleby-26969138
T25Chris DiMarco-26969138
T25Ernie Els-27167138
T25Shane Bertsch-26870138
T25Brian Gay-26771138
T25Ángel Cabrera-26771138
T25Dicky Pride-26672138
T25Tommy Gainey-26672138
T33Boo Weekley-17069139
T33Doug Barron-17069139
T33Vaughn Taylor-16970139
T33Michael Wright-17168139
T33Heath Slocum-17168139
T33Mike Weir-16871139
T33Charlie Wi-16871139
T33Ben Crane-16772139
T41Joe DurantPar7070140
T41George McNeillPar7070140
T41Vijay SinghPar7070140
T41Ken TanigawaPar7169140
T41Paul GoydosPar7268140
T46Jason Caron+17071141
T46Retief Goosen+17071141
T46Tom Pernice Jr.+17071141
T46Paul Stankowski+17269141
T50Darren Clarke+26973142
T50Justin Leonard+26874142
T50Søren Kjeldsen+27270142
T50Scott Hend+27369142
T54Chad Campbell+36875143
T54J.J. Henry+37271143
T54Steve Allan+37271143
57Colin Montgomerie+47074144
T58Harrison Frazar+57075145
T58Ken Duke+57273145
T58Stephen Gangluff+57273145
T58Jay Haas+57372145
T58Rod Pampling+57372145
T58Billy Andrade+57372145
T58Cameron Percy+57372145
T58Jeff Maggert+57372145
T58Scott McCarron+57570145
T58John Senden+57570145
68Rocco Mediate+67175146
T69Billy Mayfair+77473147
T69John Rollins+77572147
71Tim Petrovic+87375148
T72David Branshaw+107575150
T72Glen Day+107674150
T72Woody Austin+107674150
75Michael Allen+157778155
76Mark Calcavecchia+177978157
W/DSteve Flesch----
W/DFred Funk-75-75

Simon Bale

Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.

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Updated: October 4, 2026