The message of an NBA myth to the PGA hero and the offer for the ‘ace’ stick

Michael Blockhe club pro in Mission Viejo (Southern California)who became the great enemy of PGA Championship making the cut, finishing on the 15th, and shooting an incredible hole-in-one on the 15th at Oak Hill, he had a strange feeling that his life would never be the same again. And he was right. Block’s accomplishments over the weekend drew attention from the sports world, including one of its living legends.

“It’s crazy. Biggest surprise these days. I’ve always been a big fan of Michael Jordan. I’m a kid from Iowa who saves $100 every year to buy the latest ‘Jordan’. Now write to you in your phone is…cool, to say the least,” Block said Tuesday in the Colonial press room. Of course, the professional Arroyo Trabuco, who is very shocked these days and has not been able to answer all the messages he receives, had a minute to answer Jordan. “I told him I was looking forward to one of those 36-hole games he was putting on.”

Block, then the club pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, Southern California one of 20 PGA professionals who qualified for the Grand Slam last week and tied for 15th place at Oak Hill Country Clubbecause it includes the exemption for next year in Valhalla.

He holed-in-one on the 15th and hours later received a sponsor’s waiver for this week’s PGA Tour. The party will continue like this at the Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth (Texas).

Block explained, during his media appearance, what Jordan wanted to convey to him in his message: “What you have done this week is the reason why I love golf.”

Bock, 46, is used to talking to famous athletes. In southern California, he plays with players as tall as Patrick Cantlay, 4th in the world. Block told reporters Tuesday that maintains a close friendship with Major League Baseball crack Albert Pujolswho visited a field where Block played in Orange County, California, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels.

“Yeah, I played with Albert, and I went 64 or something like that, and he said, we have to play more,” said Block. “We have to keep playing golf. And he said to me: ‘Do you want to play tomorrow?’ And I: ‘Yes’. So we became good friends.” Block was invited to Pujols’ wedding.

$30,000 for 7 iron

Another day in the life of the stylish golf man who won over the Oak Hill public and golf fans on television. “I mean, that’s the part that’s a bit beyond me right now. So it’s okay, but I try to enjoy the moment,” Block said.

Block has also received waivers from sponsors of PGA Tour events such as next month’s RBC Canadian Open in Toronto. “I love it. The people have been incredible,” Block said of this week’s invitation to Colonial. “The invitation was incredible, obviously from Charles Schwab and everybody. I’ve only been in the city for 20 hours and the people have been really wonderful to me.”

Block, the not-so-unsung hero of the PGA Championship, is at the epicenter of a storm. “If I start thinking about everything I’ve been going through these days, I don’t think I’ll be able to lift the club this Thursday on the 1 tee,” he said with a laugh on Tuesday.

Michael admitted he’s received several offers to buy the 7-iron he made Sunday at the PGA. They came to put 30,000 dollars on the table. “I told him 50,000 and I’ll take it myself if necessary… Well, now seriously, I don’t know what I’m going to do with the stick. They told me I could donate it to the PGA of America. We I’ll see. Right now, I’m still with him this week at Colonial,” he explained.

It is clear to the PGA hero that something has changed in his life. “The weirdest thing for me is walking into any place, a cafeteria, the golf course, the driving range and seeing that everybody wants to congratulate you, want to give you a fist bump… I don’t thinking about that, I just decided to enjoy this moment and as far as I go. I’m not going to think about it anymore. I feel like I’m on a cruise and I’m going to have a good time,” Block said.

And when asked about the most important thing of all that he has experienced in recent days, he is clear: “realizing that my golf is good enough to compete here.” This Thursday at 1:38 pm he will come out to play the first round of the Colonial with Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody.