Club pro Michael Block living the dream at PGA Championship

Golf

By Mark Cannizzaro

May 21, 2023 | 2:32am

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Michael Block will not go away, and what a gift that is for everyone … except perhaps for the seven players ahead of him on the PGA Championship leaderboard.

Because what a story it would be if Block could pull off the impossible, and become the first club pro in the modern era to win the PGA Championship.

We can dream, can’t we?

The story of the happy-go-lucky, 46-year-old club pro from Mission Viejo, Calif., just gets more magical by the minute.

Block continued to carve out the most remarkable story of the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill on Saturday. The only one of the 20 club professionals to make the cut, he will enter the final round Sunday in a tie for eighth place, six shots behind leader Brooks Koepka, after he shot his third consecutive even-par 70 to stand at even for the week.

The top 15 finishers earn an automatic exemption into the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, Ky. The top four finishers will earn a spot in the 2024 Masters. The top five will get into the U.S. Open next month at Los Angeles Country Club, which is about an hour’s drive from Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, where Block is the head pro.

“To say least, I’m living a dream,’’ Block said during a walk-and-talk interview with CBS while he was playing the 14th hole Saturday. “My life feels like it’s changed a little bit. I’m still on Cloud Nine, just having a good time.’’

Block, who was paired with Justin Rose on Saturday, revealed that the largest check he ever earned at a golf tournament was $75,000 in 2014 at the Club Professional National Championship at the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

He stands to make a check well into six figures, possibly seven (a man can dream, can’t he?) on Sunday, yet he refuses to get ahead of himself and think about such crazy things.

“I didn’t look at Rosey’s face for the first three holes because I’m a big fan of Rosey and I’ve watched him my whole life, and I knew it could get a little too intimidating,’’ Block said of Rose. “That might get too big for me, so I literally just kind of looked down, looked at his shoes the first couple holes, and got off to a decent start and went on from there.’’

Block will be paired with Rory McIlroy on Sunday. What’s the over-under on when he first looks McIlroy in the eye? Sometime deep into the back nine?

Asked what he has learned from this week, Block said: “I can compete against these guys. I can hang. I can post a 3- or 4-under tomorrow. Being around these guys, what I’ve learned to do is commit, be confident and play your game.’’