Club professional Michael Block insisted he could contend for an extraordinary victory in the US PGA Championship as Oak Hill continued to provide a stiff test for the world’s best players.
Block, who is one of 20 PGA professionals in the field in Rochester and the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in California, carded a second consecutive 70 for a halfway total of level par.
And that was just one behind early clubhouse leader and playing partner Taylor Pendrith, the Canadian adding a 69 to his opening 70 for a one-under-par total later matched by England’s Justin Rose.
There is a name making waves at Oak Hill this weekend. You probably know it by now.
Michael Block, the PGA Head Professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif., checked in after his second round at T14.
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2023
“I am having a great time,” Block, 46, said after a round containing four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the fifth, which was the result of a dreaded shank off the tee.
“I have no pressure, I have a job and a pay cheque waiting for me at my club. I don’t have to make putts to pay for my mortgage. This is a beautiful thing I have here. I’m a very lucky guy and I’m looking forward to playing on Saturday and Sunday.
“I feel like I’ve got the game this week to compete, to tell you the truth. I’ve made the cut, which is obviously a huge goal.
“I feel like I could shoot even par out here every day. I feel at the end of the four days that that might be a pretty good result.
“I’m extremely comfortable. To be honest, a couple of my friends in Orange County are Beau Hossler and Patrick Cantlay. I’ve played a lot of golf with them now where they’ve become my friends.
“I understand where they’re ranked in the world (131st and fourth respectively). I understand how my game doesn’t quite get up to them, but I’m pretty darn close, and I can compete with them.
“Why not come here and compete? Why not here at Oak Hill, make the cut? I’m not afraid of them any more, to be honest.”
Block even has the words “Why not?” stamped on the balls he uses as a reminder not to doubt his abilities when the pressure is on, something which stems from holing a putt to qualify for the 2007 US Open.
Asked what the ultimate “why not?” would be, he added: “To win, by far. As weird as it sounds, I’m going to compete. I promise you that.”
Pure. 👌 Michael Block is absolutely on fire this morning. #CorebridgexPGA | @scpga pic.twitter.com/o0UXSrGBrp
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 19, 2023
Block looked set to face some stiff opposition in his bid for an unlikely victory however, world number two Scottie Scheffler starting his second round with birdies on the first and second to move top of the leaderboard on five under.
Scheffler has won twice and finished no worse than 12th this season to trail world number one Jon Rahm by just 0.5 points at the top of the standings.
First-round leader Bryson DeChambeau, who carded an opening 66, was in the penultimate group on Friday, teeing off at 1431 local time.
Rose joined DeChambeau on four under when he covered his first seven holes of round two in three under par, but struggled off the tee and played the remainder in three over.
“You can keep the putter in the bag” – @JustinRose99, probably.
He closes out his opening round at -1. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/eYZHGpJwVs
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 19, 2023
Rahm was among the players who faced an uphill battle to make the halfway cut.
Seeking back-to-back major titles following his Masters triumph at Augusta National last month, Rahm birdied his opening hole in the first round before slumping to a six-over-par 76.
US Open champion and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick failed to make a single birdie as he recorded the same score, but Rory McIlroy had fought back from three over par after nine holes to post a 71 despite struggling with an unspecified illness.
