FORT WORTH, Texas — Before last week’s dream run at the PGA Championship, the most Michael Block had ever earned in a tournament was $75,000 at the Club Professional National Championship at the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach.
“There was the 2001 California State Open for $4,500 for a long, long time, and when I got 75k in one tournament, I was very happy,” he said.
If Block is happy with $75,000, it’s safe to assume he’s ecstatic after the financial windfall he experienced at Oak Hill, where a T15 earned the club pro from Mission Viejo, Calif., a staggering $288,333.
There’s also another sizable payday on the table — if Block’s willing to part with arguably the most talked about club in his bag from the PGA Championship.
The club in question is a TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 7-iron, better known as the iron he used to record an improbable hole-in-one on the par-3 15th during the final round — while playing with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy. According to Block, the 7-iron is a wanted club. The PGA of America is hoping to display it at their new headquarters in Frisco, Texas.
But as everyone knows, cash is king. And Block has a head-spinning offer on the table, to the tune of $50,000 for just the 7-iron. Block hasn’t made a decision on what he’s going to do with the club, but it likely won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. He’s slated to play the Charles Schwab Challenge, RBC Canadian Open and the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.
“For $50k, I’ll hand deliver it,” he said with a laugh. “All I know is that thing isn’t going to be too far out of my eyesight anymore. I don’t think I made $50k per year until 10 years ago.”
Even as a TaylorMade staffer, Block admitted he doesn’t change gear often once he finds something that works. He’s been playing the same Tour Preferred MC iron set since 2013 when they were first released, along with an Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball that’s roughly 20 years old.
“The new MCs feel great and everything else, but these — as you can see with most of my irons, wedges and 20-year-old putter — once I kind of have something that I know what it’s going to do, especially under pressure, it stays,” he said.
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Even the lead tape on the muscle pad has started to fuse with the metal, another reminder that Block’s irons have seen a lot of golf. Block confirmed he added the lead tape “four or five years ago” but hasn’t done a reapplication since. Once it feels just right, he doesn’t want to change a thing.
“[The irons] were just starting to feel a little light,” he said. “Maybe it was because the grooves were starting to wear off, I don’t know. I do it so randomly. If you look at my putter, it’s so random where I place it. I’m a feel guy. They’ve been good.”
Everything in Block’s life has been good recently. On Tuesday, Annika Sorenstam came up to congratulate him on his week at Oak Hill. Max Homa and Matt Wallace soon stopped by the practice putting green to grab a moment of his time.
Block also found out from his Nike rep that there’s an unread text on his phone from Michael Jordan — yes, that MJ — but with roughly 1,600 unread texts to go through, he hasn’t been able to find it — yet.
“I’m still living the dream,” he said. “Even the guy making my omelet gave me a high five. The guys at the entrance started yelling Block Party as I’m driving away. I get the chills even talking about it.”
For now, the dream continues at Colonial Country Club, with the 7-iron in tow.
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