ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Michael Block’s fairytale week keeps getting better.
The 46-year-old club pro aced the 151-yard par-3 15th hole at Oak Hill on Sunday with a 7-iron. Block, who was playing alongside Rory McIlroy, sent his tee shot into the air at “Plateau,” the shortest hole on the course and dunked it.
“No, no way,” he said as the crowd erupted. “Are you kidding me? I’ll cause that delay anytime.”
Block, who teaches at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, was the only club pro to make the 36-hole cut this week.
McIlroy smiled widely and slapped Block’s hand and gave him a congratulatory bear hug and tap to the belly.
“I’m like, ‘Why is Rory giving me a hug?'” Block said. “Rory is giving me a hug for hitting it 3, 4, 5 feet? That’s weird. I’m like, ‘I think I just made it.'”
MICHAEL BLOCK!
HOLE-IN-ONE! pic.twitter.com/AGckvo8F7B
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) May 21, 2023
It is the 29th ace in the PGA Championship since 1983.
The hole-in-one lifted Block back to even par for the day and the tournament.
Block’s home club had dozens of eyes glued to the CBS telecast and the remote celebration went crazy after the ace.
Michael Block's home club, Arroyo Trabucho, goes wild!! #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/rWbv4VU3uN
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 21, 2023
“To do it on that hole on this stage was a lifelong dream,” Block said. “It can never be better. That’s it. I can retire. Good night.”
Block needed a top-15 finish to secure a return visit to the PGA in 2024 at Valhalla, and that ace certainly help.
But it was a clutch up-and-down par on the closing 18th hole that sealed it for him, as a final-round 71 punched his ticket for next year. Among the PGA Tour elite that Block’s 1-over 281 total beat this week: Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, Max Homa and Dustin Johnson.
After his round, and after doing a session in the media center, he got a call from the tournament director at the Charles Schwab Challenge, who offered Block the final sponsor exemption. Block accepted the call on speaker phone and he and his wife got emotional with the good news. He also received an invite to the RBC Canadian Open.
Block topped off his day at Oak Hill by joining the set of Golf Channel’s Live From, and chopped it up with Rich Lerner, Brandel Chamblee and Brad Faxon.
For his work on the course, Block earned $288,333.
