‘An experience I’ll never have again’: Michael Block opens up on lifechanging PGA Championship

Michael Block, the PGA professional that captured the hearts of golf fans across the country, will not be going back to work this week.

Block appeared on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ on Monday – hours after finding out that his journey on professional golf’s most elite tour will not end just yet. 

After finishing tied for 15th in the PGA Championship, playing with Rory McIlroy, hitting a magical hole-in-one, and earning the best score of any PGA professional – Block received a phone call from Michael Tothe, the tournament director at Colonial Country Club in Ft. Worth, Texas.

‘Don’t tell me what you’re gonna tell me, ‘cus if you tell me I’m gonna start crying right now, man,’ Block replied in a moment captured on video.

Indeed, Tothe told Block the news: after his amazing performance, he earned a sponsors exemption to compete in this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial.

‘We would love for you to come play in our golf tournament and we have an exemption available and we would love for you to be in Fort Worth this week,’ Tothe said.

PGA Professional Michael Block’s magical run in professional golf is not over just yet

Block finished tied for 15th at the PGA Championship – playing his final round with Rory McIlroy

After it all, Block found out he earned an exemption to this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge

The tournament director added, ‘there’s no better person for this last exemption to go to than you.’

An emotional Block thanked Tothe, adding, ‘someone told me Colonial sets up pretty good for an old tour pro like me.’

‘I look forward to transferring my [airline] tickets to [Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport] tomorrow and coming to you guys rather than Orange County,’ Block said.

He then jokingly asked, ‘If you could talk to my boss real quick and tell him that I won’t be at work next week…’ before turning around to Matt Donovan, the general manager at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club and quipping, ‘is that okay Matt?’

‘Yeah that’s fine,’ Donovan replied. On the phone, Tothe said he would call in before Block let him in on the joke. ‘He’s right here,’ Block said. ‘He’s got tequila in his hand so he’s good. And he’s got a daughter at TCU so we’re coming.’

Block wrapped up the call saying, ‘That opportunity’s ridiculous, I can’t thank you enough and I look forward to hopefully making that exemption a huge value to your tournament.’

Oak Hill worked its magic once again – as it has in tournaments past – allowing yet another underdog to flourish in upstate New York. 

The 46-year-old Block finished tied for 15th at one-over for the round, shooting 70-70-70-71 for the tournament.

Block hit a miracle hole-in-one at the 15th to help him automatically qualify for 2024’s PGA

That included a magical shot in the final round – one that he was already looking forward to as he was paired with Rory McIlroy.

Block struck a well hit shot at the par-3, 155 yard 15th hole that went straight into the cup – a dunk for an ace in the final four holes.

That shot proved to be enough to help him finish within the top-15 and earned him automatic qualification into the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla in Kentucky.

Speaking on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ on Monday, Block called the moment, ‘An experience I’ll never have again like that in my life, and I’m going to enjoy it.’ 

Block said that he had no clue where he was on the leaderboard – even as he approached the 18th green to tap in his final putts. 

An emotional Block hugged and thanked his caddie after the final round of the tournament

‘I didn’t know where I was in position,’ he told GMA. ‘I made it a prerogative that I was not going to look at the scoreboards, even though they were all over the place and huge. […] I would’ve not have made the putt if I knew.’

Block’s biggest takeaway from this week should help him when he plays at Colonial in the coming days.

‘You’ve gotta be yourself,’ he said. ‘You play your best when you’re just yourself. Don’t try to be a tour pro, don’t try to be somebody you’re not. That’s what I’ve been doing lately, and it’s really helped my game a ton; it’s made the hole bigger. 

‘And I’ve always kind of lived my whole life to where I want that hole to look as big as possible, and thank goodness, this week at Oak Hill, it looked huge.’