FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Michael Block walked out after signing his scorecard at Colonial on Friday afternoon, his hat tipped back, his shirt unbuttoned and still 36 with a smile on his face. After the holes was further down. 120-player field.
A week after the California club pro became a sensation for everyday golfers after finishing tied for 15th at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, Block was looking forward to finally being home and playing with his black labrador in the backyard. Only then, he said, will he be able to fully exhale and reflect on how much his life has changed in the past week.
“I’m not trying to do anything, period. I’m just playing golf,” said Block, 46. “That’s what I know how to do.”
After a week of intense attention with countless media interviews, thousands of texts and messages that included one from Michael Jordan, and a late sponsor’s waiver to play in the Charles Schwab Challenge, the weary Block never played his game at Colonial. drove – “I have no legs,” he said. He still felt good with his irons, short game and putter, but was able to hit only 11 of 28 fairways in round two.
“Even when I hit it good, it will fall over the bunker and then bounce to the left of the bunker when it shouldn’t,” he said. get it. I totally get it, and I don’t blame them for it because they gave me so many positive things last week.”
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Consecutive birdies followed in the second round, first hitting a 19-foot putt on No. 18 with a 4-footer on the par-5. But there were also two more double-bogeys, though Block drew a receptive crowd and chanted “Block Party!” After teeing off on the No. 9 green to complete his final hole.
Block had a flight scheduled for Friday evening to get to California, seven days after he originally planned to return from the PGA Championship in New York.
“So if that convinces you how much I had to achieve to make the cut at the PGA Championship. My whole family, everybody, everybody who came to see me last weekend, was going out on Saturday Block said. “For me to finish 15th and make the cut and be there on Sunday and whatever happened is insane because we were all going home on Saturday morning. … Life has changed a bit since then, and I’ve enjoyed every moment.
From the moment he showed up at the Colonial, Block shook hands and greeted volunteers, taking selfies and signing autographs for fans young and old. He was still meeting fans near the clubhouse more than two hours after his last putt on Friday.
“I thought I was going to hit a chord just like 40-year-olds do — with dad bods, which I guess I did,” he said. “But I think I struck a chord with all the other people too, which is really cool. I met a lot of young people and old people and middle-aged people and whatever. Appreciate it. I just want to say thank you.”
After some time at home playing with Messi, Black Lab, and reconnecting with members and friends at Arroyo Trabuco in Mission Viejo, California, where he is head pro, Block will get another chance on the PGA Tour. He has a sponsor’s exemption to play in the RBC Canadian Open in two weeks.
“I can’t wait for Canada,” he said. “I can’t wait to go to Toronto.”
The block party is not over yet.
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