27 May 2023 , 15:50
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PGA Championship cult hero Michael Block's honeymoon period on the PGA Tour is over, after finishing dead last and missing the cut at this week's Charles Schwab Challenge.
Block earned a special invite to this week's tournament at Colonial after a fairytale tied-15th finish at last week's PGA Championship, having teed it up at the second major of the year as one of 20 PGA club professionals who had earned a spot to compete at Oak Hill.
After heading into tournament as a relative unknown, the golf instructor from Nevada became a fan favourite after battling in tough conditions to make the cut ahead of the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick, Rickie Fowler and Jason Day.
Block's remarkable week was not done there though. In last Sunday's final round, the American was paired with PGA Tour poster boy Rory McIlroy and more than held his own alongside the four-time major champion. His moment of the tournament then came at the par-three 15th, when he landed a slam dunk hole-in-one.
Block himself was as shocked as anyone to see the ball drop in, with playing partner McIlroy having to tell him he landed an incredible ace. Less than one week on though, it is fair to say the 46-year-old club pro has been brought back down to earth.
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His Tour return at the Charles Schwab Challenge did not go to plan, as he carded a nightmare 11-over-par 81 in round one on Thursday. Friday saw some improvement as he played Colonial in seven less shots in round two to shoot a four-over 74.
This saw Block miss the cut by a mammoth 14 shots, as he found himself rooted to the bottom of the leaderboard. Ever a class act though, the 46-year-old did not let his struggles on the course spoil what had been a remarkable week as he waited behind for two hours to sign autographs and greet fans.
Michael Block has enjoyed two weeks to remember (Aric Becker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)It has been a two weeks like no other for Block, and it is fair to say he is ready to return back to normality. Looking back, he said: "I have no legs. I was scheduled to fly out at 10:00 a.m. last Saturday. So if that gives you any confidence on how much I had of making the cut at the PGA Championship. My whole family, everybody, everyone that even came out to watch me last weekend was scheduled to go out on Saturday.
"So to say the least, for me to finish 15th and make the cut and be there on Sunday and for whatever happened happened is insane because we were all going home Saturday morning, and that didn't happen obviously. Life changed a little bit since then, and I've enjoyed every single moment. Appreciation for everybody is beyond for me. I appreciate everybody that's shown their support. The people here, the pros here, the members here, the volunteers here, and the fans have been amazing."
Black also has an invite to the Canadian Open, which gets underway on June 8 and after a week of rest will hope to emulate his Oak Hill feats, rather than his week at Colonial.