Michael Block, PGA, a member of the Corebridge Financial PGA Team, is soaring to the top of the leaderboard after making three birdies in a five-hole stretch Friday during the second round of the 105th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. The hot start moves Block to T-2 on the leaderboard. He started on the 10th hole, which he promptly birdied, and followed with two more on Nos. 12 and 14.
Block, 46, endeared himself to viewers after a mid-round interview with ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt as the two joked around and discussed Block’s coaching philosophy before his next shot.
“You know the old Arnold Palmer ‘swing your swing’ is a huge thing for me,” Block said. “I don’t teach one way. I teach what that person has the capability of doing and learning, and that’s been a huge benefit to teaching for the last 25 years for me.”
In the mix.
— PGA of America (@PGA) May 19, 2023
Michael Block, PGA is 2-under after two early birdies to start his second round. 👀#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/oJbURpFILh
With four PGA Championships under his belt and no made cuts, the club pro is undoubtedly on track to out-play his best career performance in the tournament, which was an eight-over effort in 2016 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.
The last time a PGA Pro finished in the top 20 of the leaderboard at the PGA Championship was Bob Boyd in 1990. The best all-time performance by a club professional came in 1971 when retired pro Tommy Bolt secured a third-place finish. Block can add himself to a very short list at the end of the second round. After all, only four PGA Pros have finished in the top 40 through 36 holes in the last 20 years: Grant Sturgeon (2009, T-13), Omar Uresti (2017, T-29), Ryan Benzel (2007, T-30), and Mike Small (2007, T-30.)
