ROCHESTER, NY. Want something special to add to your event? Simple. Have a Block party. Featuring a talented club professional who creates a seismic shock wave of excitement at the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill CC.
Prior to the start of this year’s PGA Championship. Michael Block was just one of twenty club professionals who played their way into the event via the PGA Professional Championship. It’s an event Block won in 2014 and finished as runner-up in 2022 and 2023.
The intersection of club professionals and the PGA Championship is an ongoing connection but in recent years many have wondered if having so many in the field was really worth continuing.
Michael Block provided an emphatic answer to that in not only finishing as the low club professional, the only one to make the 36-hole cut, but finishing the 72-hole event in a tie for 15th. That’s the best result for a club professional at the PGA Championship since Lonnie Nielsen in 1986 tied for 11th at Inverness Club.
Block’s play the first two rounds had him an even par 140 and just five shots off the lead.
But Block was not going to simply relish the moment in making the cut, he stayed in the battle right through the 72nd hole of the championship.
The magic moment came with a hole-in-one on the par-3 15th during the final round. The 7-iron shot flew directly into the hole and was the first ace for Block in tournament play. At first, Block did not know the result of the shot as the setting sun provided an eye glare. Block turned to his fellow playing competitor Rory McIlroy and was told several times the shot had found the bottom of the cup.
The crowd roared with utter delight.
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Block still needed to finish strong in order to reap a return invitation to the 2024 PGA Championship. At the penultimate hole his third shot from 110 yards finished less than 10 feet away and he made the putt. At the final hole his drive found the right rough and his second shot with a hybrid was pulled left and short of the green.
From there Block made a superlative pitch over a bunker to a green sloping away from him. The eight-foot putt for par was essential to maintain his place on the leaderboard and when the ball fell into the hole the deafening sound of the crowd was equal to anything Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson have ever experienced.
For the club pro from Arroyo Trabucco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Calif, the week at Oak Hill became his Tin Cup movie reality.
Block’s participation in this year’s PGA Championship was his fifth appearance in the event to go along with seven total in major championship play. He also has 17 starts on the PGA Tour. His talents are present as he routinely plays home matches against the likes of Tour players Patrick Cantlay, number four in the world rankings, and Beau Hossler.
“This week’s been absolutely a dream. I didn’t know it was going to happen, but I knew if I just played my darned game, right, that I could do this. I always knew it.”
MAGIC. ✨ Michael Block officially claims his spot next year at Valhalla and caps off an insane week.#PGAChamp | #CorebridgexPGA pic.twitter.com/ZgxK4NGb9o
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 21, 2023
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| Michael Block’s ace on the 15th hole on the final round was the first hole-in-one at a PGA Championship since Byeong Hun-An in 2020 at TPC Harding Park in the 4th round (11th hole).
The last club professional to hit a hole-in-one at a PGA Championship was George Bowman out of Oakhurst Country Club in Michigan. His was in 1996 on the 3rd hole in his first round at Valhalla Golf Club. |
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Block’s infectious love of the game was picked up by all who came in contact with him during the event. He provided a spark of real emotion and a genuine bonding that was truly inspirational.
“Obviously, I love my family and everything else and my job and everything, but golf is my life. I live it, breathe it. I made sure of one thing in my life: That I was going to drive to a golf course every day, whether as a caddy or onsite service kid or an assistant pro or a head pro or general manager,” said Block. “I was going to be at a golf course. I came to the golf course today at Oak Hills and played in the PGA Championship.”
Block’s impact sparked a flashback to another galvanizing moment going back to the 1991 PGA Championship.
Related: All Hail “King” Koepka
“I’m like the new John Daly, but I don’t have a mullet, and I’m not quite as big as him yet. I’m just a club professional; right? I work. I have fun. I have a couple boys that I love to play golf with. I have a great wife. I have great friends. I live the normal life. I love being at home. I love sitting in my backyard. My best friend in the world is my dog. I can’t wait to see him. I miss him so much it’s ridiculous, my little black lab.”
Block’s gallant play not only means he will be at the 2024 PGA Championship but the tournament director for this week’s Charles Schwab event at Colonial CC in Fort Worth, Texas, extended an invitation to play there too. Block was also presented by the club with the 15th hole flag when being interviewed by the media.
The emotions hit hard for a man not known to show such tears.
“I just played with Justin Rose on a Saturday in a major and Rory McIlroy in a Sunday at a major. I’m not sure how it gets any bigger than that. So, when I go play Colonial next week, it’s not going to feel like a down, but it’s going to be like, no problem, right, compared to what I just did the last couple days.”
Golf can be a cruel and lonely game. The focus needed to get through the dark moments and battle on was on full display with Brooks Koepka winning his 5th major championship and 3rd Wannamaker Trophy after going through various surgeries and physical therapy.
There are no guarantees in golf but displaying the sheer willpower to believe in oneself is what Block showed front and center at Oak Hill.
The Block party at this year’s PGA is one to savor.
