– I didn’t cry when I became a father. Now I was crying, for some reason. If that makes sense, golf is the one thing in the world that makes me cry. If it gives any context to how much I love this sport, now you know. That’s all for me, Block said at a press conference. After three rounds, he had already won his way into the hearts of many golf fans and was tied for eighth in the PGA Championship. Sunday’s final round was more variable. But it all culminated with a spectacular hole in one on hole 15, with a shot that went straight into the cup, in a genuine slam dunk. – It’s almost impossible. It is completely unheard of for someone who works as an instructor to be able to play so well. That whole story is completely absurd, says Viaplay’s golf commentator Joakim Mikkelsen. WHERE DID IT GO? Rory McIlroy was quick to congratulate Block on the hole in one, but Block himself understood little of what was happening. Photo: ANDREW REDINGTON / AFP Although not the crowd’s reaction Block’s playing partner for the day, Rory McIlroy, is himself a former world champion and among the biggest crowd favorites in the golf world. But on Sunday, even McIlroy was overshadowed by the unknown Michael Block. – It was a fantastic golf shot. It’s kind of like if it’s your week, it’s your week. “With the way this week went for him, it was a fitting way to end the PGA Championship,” McIlroy said at the post-round press conference. Block says that he himself did not see the ball go in the hole and did not quite understand why the crowd took off and why McIlroy turned to him to give him a hug. – He had to tell me five times that I had lowered it. “It was a pretty cool experience to have Rory tell me I’d made a hole in one,” Block said. Collected over 3 million In the end, it ended with a shared 15th place for Block, after he masterfully saved par on hole 18. This means that he is thus guaranteed a place in next year’s PGA Championship and a prize check of 3, NOK 13 million. It potentially came in handy when the bill for the evening arrived. Golf etiquette dictates that the player who makes a hole in one should treat everyone in the clubhouse to a drink at the bar. – He will probably get away with it. The classic thing is to buy for the caddies and officials, but it’s questionable whether he didn’t slide quietly and calmly, Mikkelsen says with a chuckle. Whether Block ended up taking the bar bill and how big it was is not known, but the winner Brooks Koepka was quickly out when Block came to congratulate him after the round: – I hear you’re splurging. TWO WINNERS: Block was the top instructor at the PGA Championship, the only one of the 20 instructors to make the cut. The championship itself was won by Brooks Koepka. Photo: WARREN LITTLE / AFP Because while Koepka and Viktor Hovland fought for victory in the leader ball, Block and McIlroy went a couple of holes ahead. The sound from Block and McIlroy reached Koepka on hole 13. – We heard a roar. It sounded like a hole in one roar, but we weren’t sure. It could have been someone who lowered the footage on hole 14. I asked one of the cameramen and they said it was “Mike”. “I thought it was very special,” Koepka said. Block himself stopped by a bar on Saturday night, the night before the final round. – Not a single person knew me. I’m going there again in an hour and it’s going to take off. “We’re going to have a really good time tonight,” Block said Sunday night. Can be booked for NOK 1,600 What really sets Block apart from golf stars such as McIlroy, Hovland and Koepka is that he works daily as chief instructor at the club Arrayo Trabuco in California. There he can be booked for a 60-minute instructor lesson for 150 dollars, just over 1,600 Norwegian kroner. The PGA Championship is organized by the Association of Professional Golfers, whose members are mainly golf instructors. The top 20 in the annual instructors’ championship get a place in the PGA Championship, where the rest of the world’s elite are also present. Block finished second in the Instructors’ Championship earlier this year and thus earned the chance at the PGA Championship. He has also played there four times previously. He has also qualified for the US Open twice, but he had never made the cut in a major before last week’s tournament. Before the PGA Championship, Block was down to 3,580th in the world rankings, but he has now jumped up to 577th. The jump of over 3,000 places is the largest ever since the world ranking was introduced, according to statistics guru Nosferatu. NEW HUG: There was another hug between Block and McIlroy on hole 18 after they had finished playing. Photo: KEVIN C. COX / AFP – A surreal experience Potentially, it has also opened doors for Block further. On Sunday evening, the American received a sponsor invitation to this week’s tournament on the PGA Tour. Block has previously played 18 tournaments on the PGA Tour in the past, but only has a tied 69th place as his best result. – This week has certainly been a dream. “I didn’t know it would happen, but I knew if I just played my game, I could do this,” he said. – I obviously love my family, but golf is my life. I live it, I breathe it,” Block said. Mikkelsen highlights Block’s winning nature as one of the reasons why Block became so popular. Asked why he has become so popular among golf fans, Block himself answered: – I’m like a new John Daly, except that I don’t have a hockey stick and I’m not as big as him. I’m just an instructor, right? I work, I have fun. I live a normal life, said Block, before adding: – It has been a surreal experience, and I have a feeling that life will not be quite the same in the future. But only in a good way.
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Michael Block (46) shocked and charmed the golf world – made the ranking jump of all time – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
