What Michael Block is Not

Michael Block is a very good golfer. After all, you have to be an excellent golfer to not just qualify for the PGA Championship but finish the week in a tie for 15th. What Michael Block isn’t though, is a PGA Tour Pro. 

He showed as much on Thursday when he shot an 81 in the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge, and you know what? That’s ok. 

PGA Tour Pros don’t go on the interview circuit after finishing 15th in a major (hell Brooks didn’t even do any interviews after WINNING the PGA, instead opting to spend his days after winning the Wanamaker at Panthers and Heat playoff games). They also don’t tend to go on podcasts and tell everyone that if they could just hit as far as Rory does off the tee that they would be the best player in the world. 

Now, in his defense, Michael Block never claimed to be a Tour pro. He stole the hearts of the golf world last week and reaped the benefits of it over the next few days, something we all would have done. But it’s also worth noting that Michael Block also isn’t just some guy folding shirts in a pro shop. 

For what it’s worth, Block has played in over 25 PGA Tour events since 2013. He even played in 2 Tour events THIS YEAR prior to the PGA Championship (The American Express and the Farmers Insurance Open where he missed the cut in both). He has played in at least one event of the California swing every year since 2013 and during the 2014-2015 season, he teed it up a total of 6 times including made cuts at the Sanderson and the Barbasol Championship. 

He’s way more Omar Uresti than the guy at the counter ringing you up for your greens fee and a Diet Coke. 

Michael Block also reminded us (if we even needed reminding) the difference between even a really good golfer and a golfer who can play on the Tour week in and week out. The grind of playing on the Tour week in and week out may be one of the hardest things to do in all of sport. It’s one thing to have your A-game for 4 days, especially at an event where if you can just manage to grind your way to Even Par for 4 days you are in good shape. It’s another thing when you have to be on that same level every day for weeks or even months at a time while also knowing that Even Par most weeks won’t even be good enough to make the cut, let alone be in contention come the weekend.

Short of shooting a round in the low 60s or even the upper 50s on Friday (something that he actually said in his post-round interview on Thursday was something he wouldn’t be shocked if he did), Michael Block will be returning to his California club on Friday evening.

For the most part, he will go back to being a successful Club Pro whose rate for lessons surely has gone up after these last two weeks. We may still see him here and there (he has accepted a sponsor's invite to play in the RBC Canadian Open and he has already qualified for next year’s PGA), but, the news cycle will move on, just like it does for everyone else. 

In a few weeks, Michael Block will be a memory. A reminder of how he made us feel for a few days in the middle of May. He will always have his hole-in-one on 15 and the memories that come along with that. He will always have the love and admiration of his friends, family, and fellow members of his club. What he won’t have, is a PGA Tour card.

And you know what? That’s ok.