Michael Block very well could have been the best sports story of 2023. Everyone loves an underdog story, and even more so when that dog gives people a real run for their money. Block's T-15 finish at the 2023 PGA Championship in Rochester earned him what almost no pros get, an automatic qualification into this year's PGA Championship at Valhalla.
This week, the "Block Party" continued as Block was named the 2023 PGA Professional of the Year.
What Does This Mean, Exactly?
Block is a PGA pro, the same type of pro that works at your local golf club and gives instruction and classes. In his spare time between teaching, coaching, and running tournaments at Arroyo Trabuco Country Club in Mission Viejo, California, he participates in qualifying tournaments in an attempt to make the field for majors and the limited reserved spots for PGA pros.
Block's peers bestowed this honor upon him after his amazing run at Oak Hill in May. Most of these pros don't make it past the Friday night cut, let alone play to a T-15 finish in a major. He was a runaway candidate for 2023 PGA Professional of the Year, and deservedly so.
What's On Tap Next?
After his rise to stardom in the spring, Block earned several invites to tournaments he normally wouldn't be able to participate. In the words of the great Bill Murray, the crowd wants to see the "Cinderella Boy."
Alas, Block will tee it up next week at the American Express Open hosted at PGA West in California. Given the event is in his home state, there will likely be a huge "Block Party" turnout for the first couple of rounds.
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