Michael Block: The club professional who impressed everyone at the PGA Championship

It’s a golf fairy tale. Everyone’s talking about Michael Block, the club pro who stole hearts in the PGA Championship And it overshadowed, in part, the character of Brooks Koepka, the LIV guy who lifted the Wanamaker Cup on Sunday at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York. Why such admiration? Because the professor who earns $125 for 45 minutes of class or $500 for playing nine holes with him has fought the competition. – Came to be a hit of the tip – He finished 15th and 6 times behind him who until last week was No. 1 in the world, Spaniard John Ramm. But in addition to educating himself at the level of any star on the PGA Tour, thanks to his position among the top fifteen, he qualified for next year’s event at Valhalla Golf Club, in Louisville, and was invited to the next tournament on the road.

If a situation is needed to end make the audience fall in love, On the 15th hole of the final round, he turned his 7 iron into a magic wand and scored a hole-in-one, After drawing the parabola of the ball blown directly into the cup. People began cheering with joy and chanting his name, an ecstasy that spread across the field, regardless of the expectation that Koepka’s game had regained several yards. “I thought the ball was five or 10 feet away from me, and I was wondering why the crowd was freaking out,” said Block, 46, a pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Southern California. -One. Then Rory McIlroy, with whom I was sharing a shirt, walked over to me and I thought, ‘Does Rory give you a hug when you’re five feet from the hole? “.

This tournament changed his life. Before leaving with the Northern Irishman in the penultimate group, Block was looking forward to taking some time off after a light lunch and visited the event’s merchandise shop. But his Argentine wife told him he might have to reconsider and suggested he wear sunglasses and put his hat back so he wouldn’t be recognized. “He ended up signing autographs for half an hour,” She captivated John Jackson, his caddy at Pebble Beach Golf Links who has been friends with Block for over a decade. “We finally had to get him out of there. They all know who he is.”

Block has been married for 20 years to Valeria, an Argentinian whom he met at a birthday party in Laguna Beach, California. He is seduced by her accent and that same night they go out dancing. The like was instant. Two decades later, they are the proud parents of Dylan and Ethan, who really do look like little golfers. “This is just something you dream about,” his wife commented, regarding what they’ve been through together for the past week. “I’ve always believed in him and his swing, but that’s on a whole other level, like saying, ‘I’m just not ready for this.'”described.

Certainly, the most exciting thing about Block throughout the tournament was the simplicity with which he conveyed, playing with the ease and naturalness of many of the giants on the PGA Tour and LIV: “I’m just a professional player, right? I work and I have fun. I have two kids that I love to play golf with; I have An amazing wife and great friends. I live the normal life. I love hanging out in my backyard. My best friend in the world is my dog ​​and I can’t wait to see him. I miss my little black lab so much it’s ridiculous,” she sighed. He recalled what he had just enjoyed: “But yeah, it was a surreal experience and I had a strange feeling that life would never be the same in the future, but only in a good way, which is wonderful.”

From his early twenties and with a little drive, Block—born in Reno, Nevada—could have joined the circuit, But his instincts led him to conclude that following a tour train week after week would be a big mistake, After a phenomenal performance in this year’s second major. Having played in Division II at the University of Missouri-St. Lewis attended the San Diego Golf Academy and soon after got a job as an assistant pro at Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert, California. He was a great player and the club didn’t understand why he was there. After he won the 2001 California State Open, his closest friends threw him a fundraiser to raise enough money to send him to a PGA Tour qualifying school. Block thought the plan absurd and reluctantly went ahead.

That initial rejection did not stop Block from advancing to Stage 2 qualifying at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas. But there, however, he became really aware of his level: not only were the other players better than him, but they also looked “miserable” in the competitive aspect, adding to the pressure on him. In reality, Blok did not want to put up with a life that depended on the irregularity of his game and finally decided to devote himself to teaching almost as a “brainer”, according to his manner of acting.. “It didn’t take me 10 years to realize that; but only one and I was happy.”

His life motto, he commented, is Always make the hole look bigger to be happy. “So I found out a long time ago that I wasn’t going to be a PGA Tour professional. for I did not wish to have to pay my mortgage; I needed a real job that paid me weekly. That would have made the hole look bigger.”

Despite this, Block hasn’t stopped playing, and has done more than do well in his arena, being named a 10-time Southern California PGA Player of the Year and 2022 PGA Professional Player of the Year.She has played a total of seven majors: five PGA Championships and two US Opens, one of which, was won by Angel Cabrera in Oakmont in 2007. At Oak Hill, it was the first time he had made the cut in a major championship, and in fact he was the only one of the 20 club pros who qualified for that last PGA Championship to advance to the weekend.

Still trying to come to terms with this moment. So much emotional charge made her cry uncontrollably: I did not cry when my children were born; The only thing in the world that makes me cry is golf.” “If you put that in context of how much I love this game, you know, that means everything to me,” admitted Block, a pro since 1998. He earned a total of $288,333 for his placement, far exceeding his previous highest paycheck, $75,000 at the 2014 PGA National Professional Club Championship.

Block and Caddy had to pinch themselves a few times to process what they’ve been through at Oak Hill the past couple of days. A cascade of emotions, especially that crucial moment on the 72nd hole, when he saved par and secured his spot in next year’s major. And to think that his life is connected to ordinary people on a daily basis. “At the club you deal with 600 different personalities, right? You have a lawyer telling you how to grow weed and an accountant telling you the burger was undercooked. So you have to deal with it and know how to deal with everyone under the sun.”

For a long time, Block wrote an inspirational message on his golf balls: “Why not?”. The perfect synthesis to encourage more, as in this unforgettable final major.