Brooks Koepka won his third PGA Championship and fifth major at Oak Hill. But it’s hard to imagine anyone had a better week than Michael Block.
Block, the head professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, had the week of his dreams.
And when the round was all over, Block sat down with CBS’s Amanda Renner. At that moment, the emotions of his incredible week came out and he teared up during the interview.
“I’m living a dream,” Block said. “I’m making sure that I enjoy this moment. I’ve learned that after my 46 years of life, it’s not going to get better than this. There’s no way.”
Michael Block gets emotional in his interview with CBS after an unbelievable weekend at the PGA Championship. ⛳️ https://t.co/l046oU5Ixv
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 21, 2023
It’s easy to understand why Block felt that way. In a post-round interview on Friday, Block revealed that his entire team, himself included, booked a flight home on Saturday, not thinking he’d make the cut. But he did.
Then on Sunday, Block was paired with one of golf’s greatest stars, Rory McIlroy. Officially, McIlroy outplayed his playing partner on Sunday. But while McIlroy was two shots better than Block in the final round, Block stole the show.
While it took a while for him to believe it, Block made a hole-in-one on the 15th hole, triggering a huge ovation at both Oak Hill and across the country in Mission Viejo.
"The fairy tale story… gets better! A hole-in one for Michael Block!" ⛳️?️pic.twitter.com/x6zM2pPrRo
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 21, 2023
We asked. They answered.
From boots on the ground at @ArroyoTrabuco ?
?️ BLOCKY. BLOCKY. BLOCKY. https://t.co/H2lDWnNHaF pic.twitter.com/iOb37E0MUE
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 21, 2023
Block then capped off his tournament with a tremendous up-and-down on the 18th hole. That not only allowed him to finish a whirlwind week in style, but also put him in a tie for 15th, good enough to qualify for the PGA Championship next year.
Michael Block. What a story.
And with this performance, he's qualified for the 2024 PGA Championship. ⛳️pic.twitter.com/bYwRZWdAMo
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) May 21, 2023
It will be fun to see what kind of sequel Block has in store for Valhalla next year.
