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65-year-old golfer Jay Don Blake is proving that age is just a number as he recently made his 500th career start at the Black Desert Championship. He had last played in a PGA Tour event in 2018, with his last title coming in 1991.
The Utah native was given a sponsor's exemption for the inaugural Black Desert Championship that is being held in his state. This was the first time in 60 years, that the PGA Tour was hosting an event in Utah. Blake was at the course with his family and friends a few weeks back when the tournament officials surprised him with the news. Overjoyed by the opportunity, Blake expressed his excitement in a pre-tournament press conference:
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"It’s a very emotional, very proud moment to be part of what's going to take place this week, to have my family be part of that and all the support they've given me throughout the years," he said.
He added that he never imagined reaching the 500-appearance milestone.
"Just the way the scenarios have turned out have been, you know, kind of a dream. Being 499 tournaments, it's been … I never thought I'd make that 500th. I've tried to get sponsor exemptions, I've tried to qualify a few times, and it just hasn't kind of worked out. I thought that I'm not going to get there and just felt like I'm going to get stuck at the number," he added.
When did Jay Don Blake turn pro?
Jay Don Blake learned how to play golf on a public course, Red Dixie Hills Golf Course. He was a member of the golf team at the Utah State University in Logan. Blake won the 1980 NCAA Championship and was the 1981 NCAA Player of the Year. He turned pro during the same year and joined the PGA Tour in 1987.
Throughout his illustrious career on the tour, Jay Don Blake has achieved significant milestones. He has recorded three dozen top-ten finishes and secured one victory. Notably, his highest finish in a major tournament was a T6 at the 1992 US Open.
As his career progressed, Blake transitioned to the Nationwide Tours in his 40s and subsequently joined the Champions Tour in 2009. He picked up his first win at the Songdo IBD Championship in South Korea. Continuing his impressive form, Blake clinched another win at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship of that year.
Where does he live?
Jay Don Blake still resides in St. George, Utah, the place where he was born and raised. This is precisely why his participation in the ongoing Black Desert Championship holds immense significance.
He and his wife, Marci, have four children and ten grandchildren. He is an inductee of the Utah Golf Hall of Fame (2011) and Utah Sports Hall of Fame (2020).
