Michael Block amazed by fanfare, message from Michael Jordan

FORT WORTH, Texas — michael block he wants to apologize to his friends.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you,” said Block, who finished tied for 15th at last week’s PGA Championship and then received a sponsor’s waiver at this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. . “I literally scroll and scroll and scroll and it’s endless. I can’t even get to the bottom of any of my feeds to see how many or who is watching me. So it’s been crazy.”

But there was a text he received on Tuesday that he was able to return. It came from Michael Jordan.

It appears the basketball Hall of Famer and avid golfer noticed Block wearing Jordan-branded shoes last week at Oak Hill Country Club.

“I’m a big Jordan guy my whole life. I was a little kid in Iowa saving $100 for a pair of Jordans back in the day,” Block said. “Pretty cool, to say the least.”

And Jordan’s message?

“It was something in the way that what he saw is why he loves the game of golf so much,” Block said.

Block’s 1-over in the PGA Championship last week captured the minds of golf fans everywhere. Finishing tied for 15th, he automatically qualified for next year’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club and was the best finish by a professional club in that major since 1986. According to the most recent Official World Golf Ranking, published on Monday, it jumped from 3,580 to No. 577.

“I’ve said it many times, but it’s just a dream,” Block said after finishing a practice round. “I’m just browsing. I’m actually kind of glad at this point I haven’t gotten to the reality of what’s going on, so I can golf pretty well. I think if I sit down and think about it too much, I don’t I’m sure I can swing the club on Thursday.”

Block’s ace on the 151-yard 15th hole was his first at a PGA Championship since 2020 and the first by a PGA club pro at a PGA Championship since 1996. The 7-iron he used now is highly sought after

On Monday, he told 1310 The Ticket in Dallas, he was offered $30,000 for the club. He has received more offers since then.

“It’s crazy, right? The initial response was that it was $50,000 and I’d hand-deliver it. Kind of kidding, but I guess not anymore,” Block said. “But other people have asked me about it so maybe they’ll keep it at certain places for the PGA and so on, stuff like that. So it’s up in the air. For now, he just needs to make shots close by for me, and I’ll be gone.” thence”.

Max Homa he called Block, the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, a “legend in Southern California”, having played in tournaments against him in the past. Block played the front nine at Colonial Tuesday with beau hossler, another golfer from Southern California. As he teeed off at number 10, Jordan Spieth and zach johnson They were looking.

“It’s always amazing to see someone who, if you go to the US Amateur or the US Mid-Am and you see those players how good they are, and they have a job,” Homa said. “I spend all my days here practicing golf. That’s all I have to do, and he can still beat the hell out of me.”

ryan palmer he was practicing at the Vaquero Club in Westlake, Texas, and saw Block’s hole-in-one. He was curious how Block’s game would withstand the pressures of a big game weekend with justin rose and Rory McIlroy.

“I think it’s just one of those stories that the game of golf hasn’t had for a while,” Palmer said. “The game is in such a great place, the PGA Tour, the guys who are playing every week, the guys who are winning, it’s stronger than ever, I think, but I think a lot of that also has to do with what’s been … going on in the golf world, the battle that’s been going on, I guess you could say. Seeing a story like that, bringing together fans who are golfers or non-golfers, I think it’s great to see.”

Block received a sponsor waiver Sunday and flew to Dallas/Ft. It’s worth it on Monday. He was at Colonial mid-morning Tuesday for a practice round. He brought the same outfit from last week in Rochester, New York, but that didn’t help with the warmer weather in Texas.

“I don’t have any shorts on me at all,” Block said. “So I’m going to try to get some shorts here this [so] at least when i’m here practicing [Wednesday]I’ll put on some shorts.”

The role has not been too much for Block. After wrapping up her press conference Tuesday, she spent about an hour handling other media duties. He calls future baseball Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, one of his best friends. He regularly plays with patrick cantley. She pairs up with a friend on Thursday. min woo lee.

This is his first time playing at the Colonial, Ben Hogan’s home course.

“The course fits my eyes, a lot of cutting off the tee,” Block said. “You have to be pretty straight. And the greens are perfect. I have nice ryegrass around the green. To be honest, it suits me a lot better than last week.”

The most encouraging part of the past week has not been all the recognition and congratulations.

“It’s just that my golf game is good enough,” Block said, his voice cracking. “Yeah, that my game can hang with these guys.”