The Block Bandwagon

05/24/2023 The Block Bandwagon

By: Marissa Kasch

The Golfer Who Stole America’s Heart Isn’t Going Back to His Day Job Anytime Soon

The spotlight was on Brooks Koepka at this year’s PGA Championship. Koepka became the first LIV golfer to win a major and secure his fifth career major victory. But an underdog emerged this weekend who stole the hearts of Americans everywhere. Sorry Brooks, you’ll have to share the spotlight. This is Michael Block’s week.

 

Block’s Backstory

Michael Block was America’s golfer this weekend after securing a top-15 finish at teh PGA Championship and a spot in next year’s event at Valhalla. Oh, and a hole-in-one.

 

But who is he? As we all anticipated the PGA Championship, there were several golfers on our minds. Block wasn’t one of them.

 

The star of the PGA Championship, and the star of sports for the time being, is a 46-year-old club pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in California. He teaches lessons at the course, charging $125 per 45-minute lesson. After his top-15 finish, he joked that his wife would make him charge more. These are the things we knew about Block going into the weekend. What many people don’t know is that he’s played in 24 PGA Tour events so far. After last weekend, I doubt anyone will forget it.

 

The 2023 tournament was the fifth PGA Championship he has played in. So, needless to say, he has some experience. His performance last weekend was just the icing on the cake.

 

Block’s Rochester Run

Block put on a show last weekend at Oak Hill Country Club, firing three straight 70s to remain even-par through 54 holes of play. He rose to the top 10 going into the final round. At one point, he was only one shot off the lead.

 

The tough design and difficult conditions at Oak Hill bothered several golfers. Jon Rahm, the No. 1 golfer in the world, struggled during his first two days and barely made the cut. Defending champ Justin Thomas made the cut, but finished tied for 65th place at 2-over. Jason Day, who was in the top-20 odds to win the tournament, missed the cut completely. Block, however, was unfazed.

 

The Ace We’ll Never Forget

The fireworks continued for Block as he jarred a hole-in-one on the 151-yard par-3 15th. Block was baffled after his 7-iron landed straight in the hole without a hop, skip, bounce, or roll. He was so baffled that when Rory McIlroy hugged him, he asked, “Rory, did it go in?”

 

Not only did it go in, it destroyed the cup. The ball took a chunk of the grass on the side of the hole on its descent. It was so significant that rules officials had to take a few minutes to remedy the situation for subsequent golfers.

 

As he approached the green to collect his ball, he was met with a roaring ovation from the crowd. His feat on hole No. 15 was the final piece needed to steal Americans’ hearts. His reaction? A sheepish shake of his head in disbelief. Make that talented and humble.

 

For a look at Block’s hole-in-one click here.

 

Rewriting History

Everyone following golf has heard the story by now, and you know Block’s outing this weekend was special. But just how special was it? For context, of the 20 PGA professionals (not PGA Tour players) who qualified for the tournament, Block is the only one who made the cut.

 

His performance last weekend solidified his spot in next year’s PGA Championship, and he got the sponsor’s exemption to play this weekend at Colonial for the Charles Schwab Challenge — the next stop on the PGA Tour. No PGA pro has ever finished in the top 10 in this major. With Block’s 15th place standing, a top-10 finish is clearly not far from his reach. Next year, if he were to finish fourth, he would earn an exemption for the Masters. If he finds his way into a two-way tie for third, he gets a temporary membership to the PGA Tour.

 

One thing is for sure: America wants to see a lot more of Michael Block, and they will again this weekend at Colonial.

 

Photo: David Cannon / Getty Images