With news of the PGA Tour’s merger with the PIF in Saudi Arabia this week, it’s easy to forget that just days ago, Michael Block’s PGA Championship week was a frontrunner for golf’s biggest story of the year. How quickly things change!
Block’s story continues this week, though, as he follows it up in dispensing a second sponsor at the RBC Canadian Open. If you still understand the importance of Block’s story, here’s a quick recap: Not only was Block the only PGA professional to take the cut at the PGA Championship at Oak Hill a few weeks ago, he’s actually claimed, earning pairs with Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy over the weekend. He bumped the ace during the final round and slammed a clutch up and down the 18th hole to secure a T15 finish, which catapulted his ticket to next year’s PGA Championship in Valhalla.
In nearly every interview during and after his epic career, Block charmed viewers with his “I can’t believe this is happening but I’m going to roll with it” attitude, and many humbled tears. On the heels of his achievement at Oak Hill, Block has been signed by a major sports agency and invited to future tournaments as a sponsor exemption, including a berth this week at the RBC Canadian Open. Michael Jordan texted him. And even now he has a Raising Cane emblem on his sleeve.
But all this good fortune can’t last forever, it seems. And, in a prime example of the sporting world’s reputation for building someone up only to take them down, an audio clip from Block’s interview with social media influencer Bob Minery in which Block declared he’d be a world-class player if he’d just had McIlroy. Along the way, the virus quickly spread.
“Oh my God, what I’m going to shoot where it hits Rory is going to be stupid,” Block Minery said. “I think I’d be one of the best players in the world. Hands down. If only I had that stupid length? All day. My iron game, my wedge game, around the greens and my putting up is world class.”
Block’s Everyman fans haven’t taken kindly to this bit of bravado, and on this week’s episode of Subpar, hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz decided to flip the script on Block.
“Rory McIlroy is ranked third in the world,” said Nost. “If he had to play off your tees, what would be his order?”
“I’m going to feel bad for him, my God,” said Block, laughing. “I don’t know. He’s really going to struggle to be in the top 100.”
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Block then explains that top players such as McIlroy average a ball speed of 185 miles per hour, while Block says he averages 160 miles per hour.
“That’s a ball speed of 25 miles an hour, which is more than 50 yards from each tee,” Block said. “That equals five to six clubs less than i have in the green, and that’s only on par-4. Much less when it’s 5, I have 3 wood, they have 9 iron. If you put that together for 18 holes, and I come back another five to six clubs, not for me or Rory or anyone else, how many shots would you save, what type of handicap would you have, and how much would you improve being longer than 50 to 60 yards? ”
Block insisted that he had no intention at all of misleading McIlroy with his comments on Menery; He was simply trying to illustrate the amazing advantage McIlroy has with his incredible length off the tee.
“Will I be much taller than I am now?” said Block. “How much higher? I have no idea.”
For more information from Block, including a deep dive into his PGA Championship experience, check out the full Subpar episode below.