Michael Block ran out of gas this week at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he shot rounds of 81 and 74 the first two days to finish 15 over and miss the cut.
“I have no legs,” Block said Friday. “I was scheduled to fly out at 10:00 am last Saturday. So if that gives you any idea how much confidence I had of making the cut at the PGA Championship.”
Full-field scores from the Charles Schwab Challenge
Block didn’t expect any of this: the fame, the expectations, the (believe it or not) scrutiny that comes with going from an unknown club pro to a star that takes the golf world by storm. He expected to be back home in California throwing a ball for his black lab, Messy.
Instead, he took center stage at Colonial, where he was greeted by droves of fans who wanted a closer look at the man who competed with the best in the world at Oak Hill.
“Appreciation for everybody is beyond me,” Block said. “I appreciate everyone that’s shown their support. The people here, the pros here, the members here, the volunteers here, and the fans have been amazing. I thought I was just going to hit a chord with like 40-year-old – what do they call it? Dad bods. I thought I was going to hit a chord with the dad bods, which I think I did, but I think I hit a chord with all the other ones, too, which is really, really cool.”
Block definitely struck a chord with golf fans from every demographic, and he isn’t too worried about the poor on-course performance in Texas.
“I think I felt the wrath of the golf gods this week, which I got it,” Block said. “I completely get it, and I don’t blame them for it because they gave me a lot of positive things last week.”