Jay Don Blake

As a youngster in St. George, Utah, Blake spent most of his time on the nine-hole course that was adjacent to his family's home. His father, mother and four brothers all played the game as well. By the time Blake was 12, he knew that he wanted to play golf for a living. At Utah State in his junior year, he won the 1980 NCAA Championship and was named as the 1981 College Player of the Year. Plagued for much of career by back problems, which he attributes to coming back too early following an appendectomy. A drag racing aficionado attended National Hot Rod Association driving school in 1995.
Was a regular on the PGA Tour from 1987-2004. Started in 498 events, made 309 cuts with one win, five second-place finishes, and 36 top-10 finishes. Was among the top-125 money winners from 1987-2001 and was 21st, his highest on the list in 1991 when he claimed his lone win at the Shearson Lehman Brothers Open at Torrey Pines.
Was conditionally exempt for the Champions Tour in 2009 after finishing eighth at the 2008 National Qualifying Tournament. In 2010, took advantage of limited opportunities and finished 34th on the final money list. Played in 15 events, successfully open-qualifying four times early in the year. Earnings of more than $536,789 proved to be his best financial year since 2000 when he pocketed almost $590,109 on the PGA Tour.
In 2011, turned a good year into an outstanding season with a pair of wins in the last five of his 20 appearances. Started the season as a conditionally exempt player from placing 34th on the prior-year earnings list, but ended the season with a pair of victories. He was one of only four players with multiple wins on the year and over $1.5 million in earnings, more than twice what he made in his first two Champions Tour years combined.
2012 Notes: Surpassed the $1 million in season earnings with eight top-10 finishes to his credit. The highlight of the season came in August when he defeated Mark O'Meara with a birdie on the second playoff hole at the Boeing Classic to win his third career Champions Tour title.
2013 Notes: Among his four top-10 finishes were two runner-up efforts. Fell one stroke short of Bernhard Langer at The ACE Group Classic despite carding a 68 in the final round. Second again in early June at The Principal Charity Classic, when he three-putted from 50 feet on the 17th green to fall out of a tie with Russ Cochran. Missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole that would have sent the event into overtime. Finished the year 27th in the Schwab Rankings.
Was the medalist at a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying Round in St. Louis and was the oldest player in the field at the 113th U.S. Open at Merion. He shot 74-80 to miss the cut.
2014 Notes: Saw his season come to a halt in March due to adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) in his left shoulder, which limited his range of motion. Was T-14th in the year's first event at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai and did not play again after the Toshiba Classic in mid-March, where he finished T-38th. Granted a Special Major Medical Extension for 2015.
2016 Notes: Played a full schedule for the first time in two years after left shoulder woes ("frozen shoulder") limited him to just four starts in 2014, and none after March. Had one top-10, a T-9th at the Boeing Classic with consecutive rounds of 69 on the weekend. It was his first top-10 finish since he was T-9th at the 2013 Charles Schwab Cup Championship. Was 54th on the money list and 79th in the Schwab rankings.
2016 Notes: 21 starts for the season, had a T-15th finish at the Bass Pro Shops Legends with partner Esteban Toledo. Was the first-round leader at the Constellation Senior Players Championship and was in solo-second place through 54 holes before eventually finishing T-9th his best for the year. Was 60th on the money list and 61st in the Schwab rankings.
2017 Notes: Had just two top-10 finishes in 17 starts and none after early May, finishing 58th on the final Charles Schwab Cup money list. Was 6th at the Insperity Invitational then T-8th at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic. Returned to PGA Tour Champions Qualifying tournament finishing T-29th.
2018 Notes: T-14th at the Mitsubishi Electric Classic.