ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Life was looking almost too easy for Michael Block.
He was having a Ferris Bueller few days.
The 46-year-old club pro from Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club was cruising in the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill.
Block, one of 20 club pros in the field, shot an even-par 70 in Thursday’s opening round and, 12 holes into his second round on Friday, he was 3-under par for the day and the championship and was one shot out of the lead held by Bryson DeChambeau.
His name was glowing on the leaderboards around the course.
Then reality struck, smacked him in the face.
From the middle of the fairway, Block bogeyed the par-5 fourth hole, his 13th of the day after starting on No. 10.
No big deal, just a dropped shot on a brute course that has been beating up the world’s best players.
Then came the next hole for Block — No. 5, a par-3, where he shanked his tee shot dead right off the hosel of the club.
The ball appeared to be sailing out of bounds, but in a bit of fortune it hit a tree and bounced into play, coming to rest in the rough.
Michael Block was cruising Thursday — until he wasn’t.AP
Some good fortune and a competitive attitude helped save Block’s morning.Getty ImagesBlock then, perhaps protecting from another shank pulled his second shot left into a greenside bunker, splashed out to 20 feet and two-putted for double bogey.
In a span of minutes, Block undid all the good he’d done on his first 12 holes.
He still was in excellent position.
He, too, recovered to par in from Nos. 6, 7, 8 and 9 to finish on even par and guarantee making the cut.
This is Block’s fifth PGA Championship.
He missed the cut in the previous four and was a combined 38 over par on those four events.
Now he’s in the driver’s seat with house money in hand.
“I feel like I’ve got the game this week to compete, to tell you the truth,’’ Block said. “I’ve made the cut, which was a huge goal. I feel like I could shoot even-par out here every day. I feel like at the end of the four days that that might be a pretty good result.’’
Asked what the difference has been this week in making the cut after missing it the previous four tries, Block said, “I’m extremely comfortable. A couple of my friends in Orange County are (PGA Tour pros) Beau Hossler and Patrick Cantlay (ranked No. 4 in the world). I’ve played a lot of golf with them now where they’ve become my friends.
“I understand where they’re ranked in the world. I understand how my game doesn’t quite get up to them, but I’m pretty darn close, and I can compete with them. I’ve been gaining that confidence from those finishes in those rounds where I’m like, ‘Why not?’ Why not come here and compete? Why not here at Oak Hill, make the cut?’ I’m not afraid of them anymore, to be honest.’’
Back to that fifth tee and the dreaded shank.
What happened?
“I had the same swing I’ve had all week,’’ Block said. “It was a nice little 8-iron, front left pin. I love hitting baby draw with my 8-iron. I’ve done it well all week, and all of a sudden … we’ve all been there, done that. In my head, I’m going, ‘You have got to be kidding me right now.’
“The ball somehow hit the tree, almost killed somebody, and then comes off and goes in the deep rough, and I was actually fortunate enough to make a double bogey after that, after just making a bogey on the hole before being in the middle of the fairway with a 60-degree wedge in my hand.
Block hung on and made the cut, his first at the PGA Championship.Getty Images“I’ve been flushing it all day. Last couple days the driving range is like a video game. I see that, and I’m like, ‘Oh, here it comes.’ I got it back, thank goodness, and finished it off.’’
Block has the words “WHY NOT?’’ stamped on his golf balls. Now that he’s made the cut, he was asked what his “why not?’’ is now.
“To win,’’ he said. “As weird as it sounds, I’m going to compete. I promise you that.’’
