Mark SchlabachESPN Lead Writer9 minute read
Rory gets his first birdie of the day with a long putt
Rory McIlroy sinks the long putt on the ninth hole for his first birdie of the day at the PGA Championship.
ROCHESTER, NY – At last year’s PGA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Michael Block finally found he belonged in the field.
Block played a few holes behind a large group that included Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas at Southern Hills Country Club and scored a 3-over-73 in the second round in front of hundreds of fans.
“Every hole I played was ten holes,” Block said. “I shot 73 with everyone there. My [general manager] even said, “That’s because you’re not a club professional anymore.” So it was a big moment for me. I’ve been making a living from it ever since.
Block, 46, is still a club pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, a daily fee golf course in Mission Viejo, California. But Block proved in the first two rounds of the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club that he’s also a great player.
While some of the best players in the world including Tom Kim, Cameron Young, Sungjae Im and Sam Burns are heading home after missing the cut, Block remains to play the final two rounds this weekend. He sits in 10th place on even par, having dealt 70 cards each in the first two rounds.
Reigning PGA of America Pro Player of the Year Michael Block is hoping to become the first PGA club pro to make the top 10 in 40 years. Getty Images
According to a study by ESPN Stats & Information, Block is only the second club pro to make the top 20 in the PGA Championship after playing 36 holes in the past 20 years.
“I feel extremely comfortable,” said Block. “A couple of my friends in Orange County, to be honest [California] are Beau Hossler and Patrick Cantlay. I’ve played a lot of golf with them now [and] They have become my friends. I understand where they stand in the world. I understand my game isn’t quite up to par with them, but I’m pretty damn close and I can keep up with them.”
On Friday, Block was pretty close to securing at least part of the lead. He made three of his first five holes and also #1, his tenth hole of the round, with a birdie to move to 3 under, just one shot behind the leaders. But then he had a bogey on the #4 and a very improper swing on the par 3 fifth. He made his tee shot and landed a double bogey 5.
“I don’t know,” Block said. “I had the same momentum as I had all week. It was a nice little 8 iron, front left pin. I love hitting the baby draw with my 8 iron. I’ve been doing well all week, overall. Suddenly we were all there, doing that, and we look up and I’m like, ‘Oh my God.’ The ball went straight up, kind of hit the tree, almost killed someone, and then he went off and landed in the deep rough. I was actually lucky enough to do a double bogey afterwards.”
Block has had an impressive career in smaller circles. He is the current PGA of America Professional Player of the Year. He placed second at the 2023 PGA Professional Championship, which earned him a spot at Oak Hill field. In 2019 he set a course record in Arroyo Trabuco at 59. On April 17, he won the Stroke Play Classic at his home court, taking home $1,600. He raised an additional $500 for second place in the Pro-Pro Scramble at the San Juan Hills Golf Club in California a week earlier.
Block says he rarely hits more than a bucket of balls a week. He spends most of his time teaching, for $125 for a 45 minute session and $500 for a 9 hour hour of play. Wherever Block finishes on Sunday, he can earn a nice payday.
It is his fifth appearance in the PGA Championship. He also played at the US Open in 2007 and 2018. He failed to make the cut in any of his previous starts in the majors. He had made four of 24 PGA Tour starts and made about $38,038.
Block’s form has been good this year. In January, he scored a 7-under 65 in the first round of American Express (he was fielding for the third time to win the PGA Section Championship in Southern California). The next week, Block beat both tour pros he was paired with in the first two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open (he reached 74-73).
“I’ve gained that confidence from placings in the rounds where I’m like, ‘Why not?'” Block said. “Why don’t you come here and compete? Why not break through here at Oak Hill? To be honest, I’m not afraid of them anymore.”
The best result by a PGA club professional to make it to the PGA Professional Championship was an 11th-place tie between Lonnie Nielsen in 1986 and Tommy Aycock in 1974. Block may be the first in the last 40 years in the top 10.
“As strange as it may sound, I will be competing,” Block said. “I promise you that.”
As it says on his TaylorMade golf balls: why not?
foreign taste
Norway’s Viktor Hovland is tied at the top going into the third round with 5 under.Getty Images
The Americans have won each of the last seven PGA championships. The last non-American player to win it was Australian Jason Day in 2015. But after 36 holes, Oak Hill’s rankings have a distinctly foreign note.
Canadian Corey Conners and Norway’s Viktor Hovland are tied at the top with Scottie Scheffler at 5 under. England’s Callum Tarren is sixth with 2 unders and his compatriot Justin Rose is eighth with 1 unders. The Austrian Sepp Straka is in 10th place with the same odds.
No player in England has won the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes, who won the first two tournaments in 1916 and 1919.
“I think in the past I’ve usually won on more difficult golf courses, so I think it fits my profile from that perspective,” Rose said. “Yes, that’s at the top. It feels a bit like a hybrid PGA-US Open sort of thing this week. I’m looking forward to the test, I think.”
How far is too far back?
Jon Rahm rallied all the strength to make the breakthrough, but it may be too late for him to make a real run. Getty Images
During the stroke-play era of the PGA Championship since 1958, 63 of the 65 eventual champions were in the top 20 ranked after 36 holes, according to Elias Sports Bureau. The exceptions were Collin Morikawa, who won 2020 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco (tied 25th place) and Padraig Harrington at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Township, Michigan, 2008 (tied 26th place).
Each of the winners of the six major championships played at Oak Hill Country Club was in the top three after round two: Jason Dufner (first, 2013 PGA Championship), Shaun Micheel (tie first, 2003 PGA Championship), Curtis Strange (1st, US Open 1989), Jack Nicklaus (same runner-up, PGA Championship 1980), Lee Trevino (runner-up, US Open 1968) and Cary Middlecoff (same third, US Open 1956).
That could be bad news for some of the best players in the world including Adam Scott (tie 30th, 2 overs), Hideki Matsuyama (tie 35th, 3 overs), Max Homa (tie 35th, 3 overs) and Xander Schauffele (same 48th, 4 over), Cameron Smith (same 48th, 4 over), Jon Rahm (same 48th, 4 over), Tony Finau (same 59th, 5 over) and Justin Thomas (same 59th ., 4 over) 5 over).
“It was a blast again,” said Thomas, the defending champion. “It was a struggle. I just had a bad start.”
to be on the way home
Rickie Fowler was among the prominent names who missed the cut. Getty Images
Most of the big-name players in danger of missing the cut, including Thomas, Rahm and Jordan Spieth, rallied and moved across the finish line on Friday. There were a few notable exceptions including Rickie Fowler (over 6), Billy Horschel (over 6), Matt Fitzpatrick (over 6), Tom Kite (over 8), Jason Day (over 8), Cameron Young (over 9), Sungjae Im (over 13) and Sam Burns (over 14).
LIV Golf League star Talor Gooch finished the game with 10 overs and also missed the cut. He was ranked 63rd in the official golf world rankings this week. It took Gooch, a two-time LIV Golf League winner, a good week to finish in the top 60 by Monday or June 6 and qualify for the US Open.
Gooch secured a 2022 season-ending Tour Championship spot, which in the past would have been enough to put him in the US Open field. But the United States Golf Association changed the wording of that exception this year to include players who were both qualified and eligible for the Tour Championship. Gooch was ineligible to play after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan suspended him for attending LIV golf events without a clearance. He doesn’t score points in LIV Golf League tournaments, so he’ll miss the field for next month’s US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club.
Oh Canada
Corey Conners is hoping to become the second Canadian to win a major. Getty Images
The drive from Rochester to Toronto takes about three hours, so there were a lot of Canadian fans in the galleries this week. There has been plenty of reason to celebrate so far. Not only is Conners tied at the top, but Taylor Pendrith is 1-under in eighth and Adam Svensson is 11th on par. Adam Hadwin is in 35th place with 3 overs.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, only three Canadian players have made the top 10 in the PGA Championship: Graham DeLaet (tie seventh place, 2017), Mike Weir (three times), and Nick Welock (tie ninth place, 1936). Weir is the only Canadian to win a major at the 2003 Masters.
“It’s been a very special week so far,” said Conners. “I think since I’m so close to Canada, there are a lot of Canadian fans out here. They cheer me on It definitely feels good.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty exciting. Both Taylor and Adam are very close.” [Svensson]. It’s fun to be part of the group of Canadian golfers at the moment. I think whether it’s me or one of them or the others, someone makes noise every week. It’s fun to be a part of.
