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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Michael Block is one of us. Sure, the 50-year-old golfer is better at the game than we are, but at his core, he is the guy lacing up his FootJoys in the parking lot. The guy with a flask in his bag, taking a sip of ****** for every birdie – and two sips for every triple bogey. The guy who helps you look for your ball in the woods.
The guy who, well, you get the picture. Block is You. And me.
Listen to him at the 46th U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club describe what it is like to play with younger playing partners who hit the ball farther than he could imagine.
“You know, I don’t care if you’re out playing with your three buddies at your local club or you’re playing in a tour event or a major, it feels exactly the same to be 25 yards behind the other three players,” Block said, adding that now that he is old enough for the PGA Champions Tour (50–and-over), he no longer is the shortest hitter in the field.
Have you ever walked to the first tee wondering if you’ll hit the ball left, right or not at all? So has Block.
“One of my big battles that I used to do is have a lot of negative thoughts,” he said. “I would be over the golf ball and question if I was going to hit a good shot.”
The “gulp” moments still pop up occasionally, but Block has begun telling himself he can, not he can’t.
“I started having a mantra of, ‘Why not? Why not me? Why not hit a good shot?’ ", he said. “I used to write ‘why not’ on my golf ball for probably three, four, five years. Now I think more about how I’m going to react, making the shot or making the putt, which is what you see. I make a putt, I have a reaction, and that’s an on-purpose thing because that was a premeditated thing that I’m thinking about before I even putt it.”
Good advice for amateurs.
More “Blockisms” to copy?
"I didn’t lose my s***, so that was good,” he said after shooting a scrambling 2-over 72 during the July 2 opening round of the national senior championship. “I can lose my s*** and I didn’t today, because, to be honest, it was mainly 99% my fault. When it’s my fault, I just look in the imaginary mirror … and try to learn what I’ve been doing wrong and try to fix it.”
Is Block’s Everyman persona genuine? I believe so. My instincts are not always on the mark, but when it comes to golfers I’m usually more right than wrong. Hey, I thought Phil Mickelson was a phony from Day 1. And guess what? Ding, ding, ding.
Block is no fraud. That doesn’t mean he’s going to show up at Raymond Memorial as a single with a pull cart anytime soon, but unlike the vast majority of touring professionals, he believes doing so isn't beneath him.
Then again, Block does not consider himself a touring professional. He is first and foremost a family man, then a PGA teaching pro, based out of Southern California, followed by whatever you want to call his job this week at Scioto, where he is one of 156 players competing for the $800,000 first-place prize, having qualified for the Open three weeks ago.
“I’m a club professional first. I’m not a tour pro first,” Block said. “I’m a tour pro probably third or fourth. Basically, my job is to go out there and make sure that everybody at the club is having a great time, and customer service.”
Block always seems to be having fun. Yes, his performance as an entertaining fan favorite includes some schtick – he has USA shaved into the back of his head to celebrate the USMNT in the World Cup, as well as the July 4 holiday – but he genuinely enjoys interacting with fans and fellow players, as well as telling it like it is.
“I wear my personality on my sleeve. I’m not shy. I’m not afraid to say anything I need to say,” he said. “I love to talk. I love to go out, and I love to have a good time.”
Fine, fine. But can he play? Quick answer: yes. But some background is needed.
Block burst onto the golf scene at the 2023 PGA Championship, where he made a hole-in-one during the final round and finished tied for 15th, the highest finish for a club pro in decades. He extended his 15-minutes of fame with appearances in two more PGA Tour events, as well as receiving an exemption into the 2023 Australian Open.
After turning 50 on June 15, he received a sponsor invite into the Dick’s Open on the Champions Tour, tying for ninth. He may not have enough game to consistently compete on the PGA Tour, but it’s solid enough to hang with the seniors.
Block just isn’t certain that touring life is for him. He hopes to give it a try for a few years, just to see if he can make a living at it. But he is content to keep showing up at his club every day to help members hone their games.
“I mentioned to my family that I kind of want to do a two-year thing out here,” he said. “Do two years and then give up the whole tournament golf part of it after that. I know that 50 to 55 out here is kind of the prime. So for me personally, I think, if I could just do whatever I can for the first two years.”
If he is killing it against the gray hairs, two years could turn into four or five, but only if he is contending week to week.
“If I’m out here struggling, I’m out here getting 45th every time, I don't really want to go spend a week away from home and a week away from my family and a week away from my club finishing 45th and not having fun. If I’m out here playing decent for a living and having fun with everyone out there, it makes it a lot better and then you’d probably see me more often. But I don’t plan on doing this for that long. I don't really want it to be my job. Six, seven, eight events a year, something in that range would be absolutely ideal.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: U.S. Senior Open: Michael Block's 'everyman' personality is no act
Continue reading...
The guy who, well, you get the picture. Block is You. And me.
Listen to him at the 46th U.S. Senior Open at Scioto Country Club describe what it is like to play with younger playing partners who hit the ball farther than he could imagine.
You must be registered for see images attach
“You know, I don’t care if you’re out playing with your three buddies at your local club or you’re playing in a tour event or a major, it feels exactly the same to be 25 yards behind the other three players,” Block said, adding that now that he is old enough for the PGA Champions Tour (50–and-over), he no longer is the shortest hitter in the field.
Have you ever walked to the first tee wondering if you’ll hit the ball left, right or not at all? So has Block.
“One of my big battles that I used to do is have a lot of negative thoughts,” he said. “I would be over the golf ball and question if I was going to hit a good shot.”
The “gulp” moments still pop up occasionally, but Block has begun telling himself he can, not he can’t.
“I started having a mantra of, ‘Why not? Why not me? Why not hit a good shot?’ ", he said. “I used to write ‘why not’ on my golf ball for probably three, four, five years. Now I think more about how I’m going to react, making the shot or making the putt, which is what you see. I make a putt, I have a reaction, and that’s an on-purpose thing because that was a premeditated thing that I’m thinking about before I even putt it.”
Good advice for amateurs.
More “Blockisms” to copy?
"I didn’t lose my s***, so that was good,” he said after shooting a scrambling 2-over 72 during the July 2 opening round of the national senior championship. “I can lose my s*** and I didn’t today, because, to be honest, it was mainly 99% my fault. When it’s my fault, I just look in the imaginary mirror … and try to learn what I’ve been doing wrong and try to fix it.”
Michael Block's 'Everyman' personality is no act
Is Block’s Everyman persona genuine? I believe so. My instincts are not always on the mark, but when it comes to golfers I’m usually more right than wrong. Hey, I thought Phil Mickelson was a phony from Day 1. And guess what? Ding, ding, ding.
Block is no fraud. That doesn’t mean he’s going to show up at Raymond Memorial as a single with a pull cart anytime soon, but unlike the vast majority of touring professionals, he believes doing so isn't beneath him.
Then again, Block does not consider himself a touring professional. He is first and foremost a family man, then a PGA teaching pro, based out of Southern California, followed by whatever you want to call his job this week at Scioto, where he is one of 156 players competing for the $800,000 first-place prize, having qualified for the Open three weeks ago.
“I’m a club professional first. I’m not a tour pro first,” Block said. “I’m a tour pro probably third or fourth. Basically, my job is to go out there and make sure that everybody at the club is having a great time, and customer service.”
You must be registered for see images attach
Block always seems to be having fun. Yes, his performance as an entertaining fan favorite includes some schtick – he has USA shaved into the back of his head to celebrate the USMNT in the World Cup, as well as the July 4 holiday – but he genuinely enjoys interacting with fans and fellow players, as well as telling it like it is.
“I wear my personality on my sleeve. I’m not shy. I’m not afraid to say anything I need to say,” he said. “I love to talk. I love to go out, and I love to have a good time.”
Fine, fine. But can he play? Quick answer: yes. But some background is needed.
Block burst onto the golf scene at the 2023 PGA Championship, where he made a hole-in-one during the final round and finished tied for 15th, the highest finish for a club pro in decades. He extended his 15-minutes of fame with appearances in two more PGA Tour events, as well as receiving an exemption into the 2023 Australian Open.
Golfer Michael Block has some 'homebody' in him
After turning 50 on June 15, he received a sponsor invite into the Dick’s Open on the Champions Tour, tying for ninth. He may not have enough game to consistently compete on the PGA Tour, but it’s solid enough to hang with the seniors.
Block just isn’t certain that touring life is for him. He hopes to give it a try for a few years, just to see if he can make a living at it. But he is content to keep showing up at his club every day to help members hone their games.
“I mentioned to my family that I kind of want to do a two-year thing out here,” he said. “Do two years and then give up the whole tournament golf part of it after that. I know that 50 to 55 out here is kind of the prime. So for me personally, I think, if I could just do whatever I can for the first two years.”
If he is killing it against the gray hairs, two years could turn into four or five, but only if he is contending week to week.
“If I’m out here struggling, I’m out here getting 45th every time, I don't really want to go spend a week away from home and a week away from my family and a week away from my club finishing 45th and not having fun. If I’m out here playing decent for a living and having fun with everyone out there, it makes it a lot better and then you’d probably see me more often. But I don’t plan on doing this for that long. I don't really want it to be my job. Six, seven, eight events a year, something in that range would be absolutely ideal.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: U.S. Senior Open: Michael Block's 'everyman' personality is no act
Continue reading...
