Just when you thought his story couldn’t get any better at this week’s PGA Championship, club pro Michael Block said, “Hold my beer.”
Well, figuaratively, anyway. But we know the man likes his IPAs!
The craft brews are sure to be flowing after Block’s latest triumph at Oak Hill: a hole-in-one on the 151 par-3 15th. And not just any hole-in-one: Block absolutely jarred his 7-iron — no hop, no roll, just straight into the hole.
Block took the hole-in-one in stride. As the crowd went nuts, he tipped his cap, and accepted a congratulatory belly pat from McIlroy.
“No. No. No way,” Block said in disbelief.
He received a long ovation from the gallery as he approached the green and paused for a second before picking his ball out of the cup, which was visibly damaged from his hole-out.
The ace was yet another feather in Block’s ever-expanding cap at the PGA Championship. A quick recap: Of the 20 PGA club professionals who qualified to play this week, Block is the only one who even made the cut.
How Michael Block became the PGA king — as told by those who know him best
Three consecutive rounds of even-par 70 launched him into actual contention — and a pairing alongside McIlroy on Sunday. The ace on 15 brought Block back to even par for the tournament, and T14, making his final holes even more interesting. There’s a lot at stake for Block:
-No PGA pro has ever finished in Top 10 in the PGA Championship.
-A finish in the Top 15 will grant him an exemption into next year’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.
-A Top-4 finish gets him into the 2024 Masters.
-A two-way tie for third would earn him special temporary membership on the PGA Tour.
Talk about pressure.
But regardless of what happens to Block on Sunday evening, one thing’s for sure: This week at Oak Hill is one he’ll never forget.