Golf star Michael Block offers bizarre excuse after bombing out of PGA Championship
The 48-year-old, a club pro in California, enjoyed a PGA Championship fairytale in 2023, when he made a hole-in-one and finished in a tie for 15th.
Two years on, however, Block's tournament was cut short after he finished round two on 15-over-par - 14 shots off the cut line.
He shot five bogeys and four double bogeys in a disastrous second-round 82 and afterwards Block lamented his failure to draw bigger crowds at Quail Hollow.
'I wish there was a huge crowd on every hole because that's when I hit my shots,' he told Golf.com.
'I really do. I always do. It's the weirdest thing. When there's no one around is when I hit my worst shots.'
He added: 'That's something that I need more in my life is a bigger crowd. I just need to play a little better so it could happen. I could only imagine what would have happened if I would have been playing really good this week.'
Block lit up Oak Hill Country Club in 2023, becoming an overnight cult hero. But there were no more heroics at Quail Hollow. Heading into the weekend, only half a dozen players were below Block in the leaderboard.
Rory McIlroy narrowly made the cut and on Saturday, TV cameras caught his frustrated reaction to the news that play was being delayed because of dangerous weather.
McIlroy and Xander Schauffele were two of the big names due to go out early in the morning but organizers were forced to suspend play because of rain and stormy conditions around Quail Hollow.
Masters champion McIlroy was headed toward the first hole for his 8:25am ET tee time when the horn sounded to signal play was suspended.
The Northern Irishman was not too pleased - he slumped his head, turned around and grinned in disbelief while appearing to say 'f*** off'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Scottish Open golf deal for 50% off special newsletters
You could be playing beautiful Scottish golf courses, just like Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open. (Photo by) Match Rory McIlroy with the Scotsman's golfing guide to courses like St Andrews and Troon for half price Sign up to our Golf newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Scottish Golf Open is just days away, so we have a special offer for all golf fans to enjoy. In celebration of Rory McIlroy and co walking the fairways at The Renaissance Club, we're delighted to offer readers an exclusive 50% off our premium golf newsletter series: 'Scottish Golf Courses You Must Play' – now just £4.99 for a limited time only. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To take advantage of the offer, just use the code GOLF50 at the checkout when you click through to the sign up page via the button. But the clock is ticking and the offer only runs until July 18, so be quick! Curated by our renowned golfing correspondent Martin Dempster, anyone subscribing to this special series will receive 12 beautifully crafted emails over two weeks. They will spotlight some of Scotland's most stunning and memorable golf courses including St Andrews, Troon and Carnoustie and are packed with striking imagery, expert insights, and local knowledge. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Golf Courses You Must Play is more than just reading material – it's your personal guide to unforgettable golf experiences across Scotland. Whether you're planning a golfing getaway or just dreaming of the greens, this is an inspiring and practical resource you'll want to keep forever.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Wimbledon's ‘most beautiful debutant' worked as model and delivery driver and was left in tears over her bank balance
WIMBLEDON star Carson Branstine worked as a model and as a delivery driver to fund her tennis career. The Canadian qualified for the tournament and bagged £66,000 in the process. 9 9 9 9 9 Branstine was defeated by world No1 Aryna Sabalenka but she was delighted to make just her second ever Grand Slam appearance. It has been a difficult journey for the 24-year-old to reach the All England Club, with Branstine revealing she was reduced to tears after realising she only had £19 ($26) left in her bank account. She told "When you play ITF tournaments and finance your own life as a young athlete, everything is very expensive. "I live in Southern California, and just filling up the tank was seriously draining my bill. "I remember one morning, a couple of weeks before I played my first WTA final in Cancun, I looked at my account balance and only had $26. "I thought about how I'm going to finance myself for the tournament now. I cried. I called my friends, I wasn't allowed to call my parents - if they found out, they would be very angry. "I just said to myself, 'Don't think too much. Do it.' And so after training I drove around Los Angeles and delivered dinners to people." Branstine, who has been labelled ' Wimbledon 's most beautiful debutant', funded her tennis career by working as a delivery driver. She has also worked as a model and boasts a Bachelor's degree in Society, Ethics, and Law with a double minor in Philosophy and Sports Management. The California resident even assisted a lawyer and attended court, working on cases involving family law. But modelling is her favourite work outside of tennis, with Branstine admitting she loves being in front of the camera. She said: "I love being in front of the camera during a shoot. "It's fun, I love fashion. It's been one of the reasons I've been able to pay some of my trips. "I didn't want to ask my parents for anything. I wanted everything to come from me and from my tennis. "I wasn't signed by these agencies because of my tennis, it was for my look. "Modelling and tennis are weirdly similar - you are an object a lot, and people sometimes forget you're a person too." 9 9 9 9
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Diego Luna double fires US past Guatemala and into Gold Cup final
Diego Luna scored twice in the first 15 minutes and the US men's national team held on for a 2-1 victory over Guatemala in St Louis on Wednesday to advance to the final of the Concacaf Gold Cup. Luna tallied in the fourth and 15th minutes before Olger Escobar made it 2-1 in the 80th minute. American goalkeeper Matt Freese made four saves, including a diving stop at the left post on Joes Morales in the second minute of second-half stoppage time. The US will play Mexico for the title on Sunday in Houston after El Tri beat Honduras 1-0 in the late semi-final on Wednesday. Luna, a 5ft 8in Real Salt Lake midfielder, scored his first US goal on Sunday against Costa Rica and leads the team in goal contributions in 2025 with seven (three goals, four assists). At this time a year ago, he was miffed that he was not selected of the US Olympic team for the Paris Games. Now, he is a mainstay, at least for this iteration of a team that does not include most of the European-based players. Still, Luna appears to be playing his way onto the roster for the 2026 World Cup. He opened the scoring with his quick reaction to rebound of a long shot by Luca de la Torre. Goalkeeper Kenderson Navarro fumbled the ball straight to Luna, who brought it down with his right foot before delivering a left-footed strike. Luna silenced the pro-Guatemala even further with his laser from 22 yards after taking a pass from Malik Tillman. The desperate Guatemalans dominated the rest of the half, outshooting the US 12-2 over the final 20 minutes. Navarro was the story early in the second half as the US looked for a third goal. First, he parried a header by Patrick Agyemang in the 62nd minute, then two minutes later Agyemang broke free but couldn't get the ball past the keeper. The saves proved huge when Escobar dribbled to the top of the box and slipped a shot through several Americans. This was the nations' first-ever meeting in a Gold Cup knockout round and Guatemala's first appearance in a Gold Cup semi-final since 1996.
