Michael Block’s magic hasn’t completely run out since the PGA Championship ended, but there wasn’t much left for him in Fort Worth, Texas.
Four days after completing a T15 performance at Oak Hill – which included a hole-in-one – the 46-year-old teaching professional entered the Charles Schwab Challenge on a sponsor exemption. He didn’t put up a repeat performance in the first round, although he at least had his moments.
The block started with three straight bogies, then came within about a yard of hitting another hole-in-one on the fourth hole at Colonial Country Club.
Six holes later, Block was in a tight spot when a 277-yard drive hit a bridge on the far right of the fairway. The block somehow saved par, starting with an incredible escape from the bridge that landed just short of the green.
It was good.
The bad came on the rest of the back nine, in which Block went bogey, bogey, bogey, par, double bogey, double bogey, par, double bogey to end the round 11-over and in last place by a margin. four strokes. Rory Sabbatini was second to last at 7-over.
Speaking to reporters after the round, Block had a balanced view:
“It’s one of those days of golf. If you play golf, you know exactly what just happened. So I don’t really need to explain it too much because, if you’re a golfer , you had the day i You understand the facts where lies are no good and trees get in your way every time Even your good moves are bad, your bad moves are worse, et cetera, et cetera.
“It is what it is. I’ll live with it. I thought it was going to happen that third or fourth round last week at Oak Hill, and it never happened. It happened now, and I wasn’t surprised by that, to tell you the truth.”
While Friday’s round was significantly better — Block posted a 4 of 74 — he finished at 15 on the week. He missed the cut and was last on the field.
It’s sure to reflect on what has been a crazy few weeks at some point. For now, however, he just wants to return to his family.
“I’m not going to let it all out until I’m probably in the – when I get home and I’m sitting in the garden – no, I can’t talk about that stuff right now” , Block said on Friday. . “My black lab Messy, he’s been waiting for me. I haven’t seen him in almost two weeks, and I can’t wait to get home and kick the ball with him.”
Looking at the overall numbers, it wasn’t an impressive performance from Block, who has already received a lot of recognition. He won’t make it through the final round playing with a great champion like Rory McIlroy. But for a guy who qualified for last week’s tournament through a club pro qualifier and made his first major cut 16 years after his first appearance, more moments in the sun are a nice sight in a sport that everyone loves.