Michael

Block

Block could seemingly do no wrong last week at Oak Hill but the script flipped today. He landed just six greens in regulation and lost more than four strokes around-the-green. “It is what it is. I’m going to live with it. I thought it was going to happen that third or fourth round last week at Oak Hill, and it never happened. It happened now, and I wasn’t surprised by it, to tell you the truth. The experience I had that last week was next level. So today, coming out here and not having my game at all and having a lot of bad luck or whatever you might call it, just call it golf.” Block will get it his all tomorrow but is likely too far outside of the cutline at this point. It will be nice practice regardless to get him ready for some of his upcoming sponsor invites.

Block opened his week with three straight even-par 70s. The club pro entered the final round positioned inside of the top 10 (T8). He played alongside Rory McIlroy on Sunday and didn’t card a single birdie while swallowing a trio of bogeys. While he didn’t circle any birdies, what he found was much better. He slam-dunked a 7-iron at the par-3 15th for a hole-in-one. He closed out his week with a 7-footer to save par at the 18th, keeping him in a tie for 15th place which means he’ll receive an invite back to play the 2024 PGA Championship. Block will certainly remember this week for the rest of his life.

Block is the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California. The 46-year-old is making his fifth appearance at the PGA Championship with missed cuts in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2022. Block is two shots ahead of his closest competitor from the PGA Pro division (J.J. Killeen, +2 thru 15). “My goal was even-par. I feel like I can shoot even par at pretty much any course in the word. I figured, why not today?”

Block cracked the field this week as the Southern Califrornia PGA Section Champion. It’s his 23rd career start on the PGA TOUR level but first time that he’s found a spot inside of the top 15 at round’s end. He was T18 after round one of the 2013 Northern Trust which is the only other time he’s posted inside of the top 35 after any round. Block pelted 15 greens in regulation today at the Nicklaus Tournament Course to erase a lone bogey. He’ll take on the Pete Dye Stadium Course on Friday and it would be quite the story if he can maintain this momentum tomorrow.

The duo completed the 72-hole event in 2-under-par 286. They traded pars on the first playoff hole. The 38-year-old Block is the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco GC in Mission Viejo, California. He’s cashed in two of his three starts on the PGA TOUR from 2007-2014. Broce is 0-for-1, but he’ll get another at Valhalla Golf Club in the PGA Championship in August since the top 20 from the PGA Pro National are exempt. The others (*-denotes former PGA TOUR member): 287--Stuart Deane ... 288--Frank Esposito, Jr. ... 289--2013 champ Rod Perry; 2004 champ *Bob Sowards; Dustin Volk ... 290--David Hronek; Johan Kok; Dave Tentis ... 291--1995 champ Steve Schneiter ... 292--Rob Corcoran; Aaron Krueger; Dave McNabb; *Jerry Smith ... 293--Ryan Helminen; *Jim McGovern; Brian Norman; Matt Pesta; Eric Williamson. (A six-way playoff settled the final five berths.) In addition to his spoils, Block will receive six exemptions on the 2014-15 PGA TOUR.