Club pro Michael Block (USA), who became a surprise star after competing in the PGA Championship, has been invited to join the PGA Tour.
Block finished tied for 15th at the PGA Championship, a major men’s golf tournament that concluded today (Feb. 22). He finished ahead of world No. 4 Xander Schauffele (USA) and No. 17 Colin Morikawa (USA).
While it’s no big deal for a Tour player to compete in two consecutive weeks, it’s a different story for Block.
He’s the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, USA, where he teaches lessons to amateur golfers. He’s our equivalent of a lesson pro, which in the US is called a club pro.
After making a living teaching, Block knocked on the door of the PGA Tour every chance he got. However, he didn’t perform well enough to make a name for himself.
He turned pro in 2008, but this year’s PGA Championship was his 26th PGA Tour event. He had never made the cut before.
This time, he turned his life around. 메이저사이트 He pulled off a minor miracle to finish tied for 15th place, and he impressed fans with some of the most notable performances of the tournament, including a hole-in-one on the par-3 15th hole in the third round.
After the tournament, there was more good fortune for Block, who received so much attention that he appeared on CNN. He has been invited to compete in the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge ($8.7 million purse) at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, starting Sept. 25.
“I wasn’t expecting to be invited,” Block told the PGA. I’m really looking forward to it,” Block told the PGA. “I’m sure my members will understand if I cancel my lessons this week,” he said.
Block’s rise to stardom at the PGA Championship also earned him a spot in next year’s PGA Championship. A top-10 finish in the Charles Schwab Challenge also earns him an automatic entry into the next event.
He told CNN, “I’m living the dream. I’m enjoying this moment and it doesn’t get any better than this. There’s no chance in hell. So I’m going to enjoy this moment and appreciate it,” he said.
