Michael Block’s magic hasn’t quite ended since the end of the PGA Championship, but he didn’t have much left in Fort Worth, Texas.
Four days after his T15 showing at Oak Hill – which included a hole-in-one – the 46-year-old teaching pro competed in the Charles Schwab Challenge in a sponsored exemption. Although he at least had his moments, he didn’t put in a repeat performance in the first round.
Block started with three straight bogeys, then came within a yard of another hole-in-one on the fourth hole at Colonial Club.
After six holes, Block was in a tight spot when he putt a 277-yard drive over the bridge to the right of the fairway. Block to some degree, starting with an unbelievable putt from the bridge just short of the green.
That was good.
The worst came on the rest of the back nine, bogey, bogey, bogey, par, double bogey, double bogey, par, double bogey to finish the round 11-over and in last place by four strokes. . Rory Sabatini was last at 7-over.
Speaking to reporters after the round, Block had a standard attitude:
It’s just one of those golf days. If you play golf, you know exactly what happened. So I don’t need to explain it too much because if you’re a golfer, you’ve had the day I did. You understand the facts that lies are not good and the trees are always in your way. Even your good shots are bad, your bad shots are worse, etc., etc.
“It is what it is. I live with it. I thought it was going to happen in the third or fourth round last week at Oak Hill, and it never happened. It just happened, and I’m not surprised at all. To be honest.”
While Friday’s round was much better — Block posted a 4-over 74 — he finished 15-over for the week. He missed the cut and was on the field at the end.
He’s sure to reflect on what has been a wild few weeks at times. But for now, he wants to return to his family.
“Maybe I won’t let them all in until I get home – when I get home and sit in the yard – no, I can’t talk about this right now,” Block said Friday. . “My black lab, he’s waiting for me. I haven’t seen him in almost two weeks, and I can’t wait to get home and throw the ball with him.”
In overall numbers, it wasn’t quite the impressive performance from Block, who has already received much acclaim. He won’t spend the final round playing against major champions like Rory McIlroy. But for a man who qualified for last week’s tournament through club professionals’ qualifiers and made his first major commitment 16 years after his debut, more time in the sun is a welcome sight in everyone’s favorite sport.
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