Michael Block's PGA Championship fairytale is, hands-down, one of the more surprising and cool things to happen in sports in a long, long time. No one denies this. The guy went from giving lessons for $150 a pop to playing with Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy on the weekend of a major — and using his one moment in the spotlight to dunk in a hole-in-one.
He was golf's Jim Halpert, breaking the fourth wall to look into the camera and ask the audience if they could believe the stuff happening in front of their eyes.
Block will tee off in the Charles Schwab Challenge this afternoon as one of the featured groups, which would have been an insane thing to say just a week ago. Actually, people wouldn't have thought you were insane as much as they'd have asked who's Michael Block?
The 46-year-old Cinderella has said yes to almost every media request and been interesting in all of them. Including on the wonderfully named Ripper Magoo Podcast, where he made some strong claims about his game and what type of player he'd be if he had McIlroy's distance.
"Oh my God, what I would shoot from where Rory hits it would be stupid," Block said. "I think I'd be one of the best players in the world. Hands down. If I had that stupid length — all day. My iron game, wedge game around the green and my putting is world-class."
Now, there are a lot of people who aren't going to like this. Who will say he's flying too close to the sun and is too big for his britches. Who will want to tear down someone who is been built up to a cult hero.
But like, of course he has this type of confidence in his abilities. You don't finish 15th in a major unless you think you can do it. And a lot of players would be incredible if they could drive it 350 yards and straight on the reg. Hell, any weekend hacker who suddenly gained the ability might accidentally shoot in the 70s.
The problem, of course, is that few can.
We hope a backlash isn't coming but have been on the internet too long to expect anything else.
This article was originally published on thebiglead as Michael Block: What I Would Shoot From Where Rory Hits Would Be Stupid.
