logo
Legendary golf coach, who charges £93 a lesson, is set to go head-to-head with Masters champion Rory McIlroy after qualifying for PGA Championship

Legendary golf coach, who charges £93 a lesson, is set to go head-to-head with Masters champion Rory McIlroy after qualifying for PGA Championship

Daily Mail​01-05-2025

Michael Block could be reunited with Masters champion Rory McIlroy after the famed golf coach qualified for next month's PGA Championships.
Block, 48, qualified the major at Quail Hollow after finishing in a tie for third at the PGA Professional Championship.
The top 20 finishers secured entry into the tournament, which will take place from May 15 to 18.
Block's appearance will rekindle memories of his famous run at the 2023 PGA Championships.
As the head professional at the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club, who charged around $125 (£93) for lesson, Block enjoyed a memorable weekend at Oak Hill.
Block had never made a cut at a major event during his career but found himself challenging at the top of the leaderboard, tying for eighth heading into the final day.
UNBELIEVABLE!
MICHAEL BLOCK JUST DUNKED A HOLE-IN-ONE! pic.twitter.com/Qin8FYXFQV
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 21, 2023
Block gave a memorable reaction when he was informed he was paired with McIlroy for the final round, responding 'You serious?', before adding 'Wow. That should be fun, we're going to have a good time.'
His stunning week continued when he hit slam-dunk hole-in-one during the final round.
Reacting to the shot, he turned to McIlroy and immediately asked, 'Rory, did it go in?' before getting a hug from the star.
Block eventually ended one-over-par to seal a 15th-placed finish, earning at the 2024 PGA Championship.
The top 15 finish also earned him an incredible £245,000 in prize money, vastly exceeding his previously biggest prize from a tournament of £56,000.
Block was unable to repeat his heroics last year, after failing to make the cut on his return to the PGA Championships.
He has made just one PGA Tour start since last year's PGA Championship, missing the cut at the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge.
Having qualified for a major for the seventh time in his career, Block will be hoping to repeat his dream run later this month.
A possible reunion with McIlroy could be possible, with the newly crowned Masters champion hoping to secure back-to-back majors this year.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Scottie Scheffler heavily backed favorite to begin U.S. Open week
Scottie Scheffler heavily backed favorite to begin U.S. Open week

Reuters

time2 hours ago

  • Reuters

Scottie Scheffler heavily backed favorite to begin U.S. Open week

June 9 - Scottie Scheffler has won three of his past four starts, including the most recent major at the PGA Championship, so it's little surprise that he began U.S. Open week as the heavy pre-tournament favorite. Scheffler's short odds aren't dissuading the public so far. The No. 1-ranked player in the world is being offered at +275 at DraftKings, where he leads the field with 31 percent of the total bets and 33 percent of the money backing Scheffler to claim his first U.S. Open title this week. The next closest is two-time U.S. Open winner and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, who has drawn 14 and 22 percent of the action, respectively, at +900. Interestingly, world No. 2 Rory McIlroy has received modest support with only 3 percent of the total bets and money while sporting the second shortest odds at +850. McIlroy won't his first Masters in April but missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open after posting a T47 at the PGA Championship. The story has been largely similar at BetMGM, where Scheffler is the book's biggest liability as he leads the way with 31.3 percent of the money backing him while he odds have shortened from +500 to +275. DeChambeau is the second-biggest liability thus far, drawing 16.7 percent of the money and seeing his odds shift from +1400 to +750. However, McIlroy remains firmly in the picture at BetMGM. He is the third-biggest liability, having been backed by 8.4 percent of the money at +1200. The Northern Irishman opened at +900. Also seeing his odds lengthen is Xander Schauffele, who has struggled to regain the form that saw him claim a pair of majors last year. He opened at +1100 to win the U.S. Open but was sitting at +2200 by Monday. Perhaps no player has seen a bigger shift than Brooks Koepka, the two-time U.S. Open champ who opened at +1800. Having failed to win on the LIV Golf tour this year while missing the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship, Koepka's odds at BetMGM have ballooned to +6600. Another popular choice at both books has been young Swedish star Ludvig Aberg. He has yet to win a major, although he did finish second at last year's Masters and T12 at the U.S. Open. Aberg, who has posted a part of top-20s since missing the cut at the PGA, has drawn 4 percent of the total bets and money at +3500 at DraftKings. He also sports somewhat longshot odds at +2500 at BetMGM, where Aberg has been backed by 5.6 and 3.9 percent of the action, respectively, since opening at +1600. --Field Level Media

Scheffler, McIlroy look to tame Oakmont, DeChambeau seeks repeat U.S. Open win
Scheffler, McIlroy look to tame Oakmont, DeChambeau seeks repeat U.S. Open win

Reuters

time8 hours ago

  • Reuters

Scheffler, McIlroy look to tame Oakmont, DeChambeau seeks repeat U.S. Open win

OAKMONT, Pennsylvania, June 9 (Reuters) - Scottie Scheffler, who has cemented himself as the preeminent force in golf, enters this week's U.S. Open seeking the third leg of a career Grand Slam while Rory McIlroy hopes to reclaim his major magic and Bryson DeChambeau eyes a repeat title. World number one Scheffler has three wins in his last four starts, including last month's PGA Championship, and is clear favorite at Oakmont Country Club where his driving proficiency, elite short game and patient approach could be the difference. Oakmont, arguably the toughest course in the United States, is a quintessential U.S. Open venue given its penalizing rough, narrow fairways and nerve-testing greens that many expect will ultimately result in a winning score above par. The physical and mental grind expected this week could open the door for three-times major champion Scheffler, who tends to be in contention wherever he tees it up given his unflappable temperament and exacting style that can wear down a field. "He's got no weaknesses in his game. You just feel like when you're behind Scottie, you have to press because you know he's not going to make any mistakes," NBC Sports/Golf Channel analyst Smylie Kaufman said on a U.S. Open media conference call. Northern Ireland's McIlroy completed the career Grand Slam of golf's four majors at the Masters in April but at the PGA Championship he finished well out of contention while using a back-up driver after his preferred one failed a conformity test. Now the world number two, fresh off a missed cut at the Canadian Open, will get another crack at an event where he has endured his fair share of heartbreak in recent years. At the 2024 U.S. Open, where the Northern Irishman was seeking his first major triumph in a decade, McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes and finished runner-up for a second consecutive year. DeChambeau, looking to become the event's first repeat winner since Brooks Koepka in 2018, has become a regular force at golf's biggest events and with five top-six finishes across the last six majors he should be in the mix this week. The big-hitting DeChambeau, who this year briefly held the final-round lead at the Masters and finished runner-up at the PGA Championship, has become one of the game's biggest draws due partly to his eponymous YouTube channel. His willingness to embrace fans when he is in contention for the game's biggest prizes could him to a third major title as he defends his crown, having also won the U.S. Open in 2020. "He's learned that whipping up the crowd, becoming connected with the crowd only helps him -- not only helps him get cheered for, but I think it helps him with his own confidence level," said NBC Sports play-by-play commentator Dan Hicks. "He's become a lot more dangerous of a guy, especially at the biggest ones they play, the majors. And that's proven to be true." Among some of the other notables in the 156-player field at Oakmont are Spaniard Jon Rahm, British Open champion Xander Schauffele and Swede Ludvig Aberg. A stern test awaits at Oakmont -- which is hosting a U.S. Open for a record 10th time and first since 2016. Accuracy off the tee will be paramount given the penal rough lining Oakmont's narrow fairways that lead to greens that could be the fastest players compete on all year. "It's going to be an absolute physical, mental grind," said Kaufman. "I think you'll see the toughest players on Sunday that are in contention, it will be the guys that have been able to keep their wits about them, not have those blow-up holes completely derail their championship. "It sounds like it's going to be crazy, crazy hard."

LIV Golf star who ignored Rory McIlroy's stern warning earned £100,000 payday
LIV Golf star who ignored Rory McIlroy's stern warning earned £100,000 payday

Daily Mirror

time9 hours ago

  • Daily Mirror

LIV Golf star who ignored Rory McIlroy's stern warning earned £100,000 payday

Tom McKibbin had been warned by Rory McIlroy that he could regret his decision to join the LIV Golf breakaway league, but the 22-year-old has already earned a fortune Tom McKibbin has pocketed a cool £100,000 at an LIV Golf event, bolstering his impressive earnings since joining the controversial tour. Despite a cautionary word from five-time major winner Rory McIlroy about giving up his PGA Tour Card, the 22-year-old Northern Irish golfer decided to jump ship to LIV Golf earlier this year, reportedly tempted by a hefty £4million signing offer. "If I were in his position, I wouldn't make that decision," the Masters titleholder said following McKibbin's announcement to sign with the Saudi-backed series. ‌ While forfeiting his chances on the PGA circuit, McKibbin's financial gains seem to justify his move, with the Belfast-born golfer estimated to have bagged £3.4m from just eight event appearances this season. ‌ His earnings for 2025 got a boost after the recent outing at LIV Golf Virginia in Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, where Joaquin Niemann emerged victorious. Despite only securing a tied-38th position out of 53 players, McKibbin still cashed in £100,000 ($136,250). Considering the wealth he's accrued and his acknowledgement of the high calibre of competitors at LIV, it appears his earlier statement about having no qualms over the switch was well-founded. The up-and-coming golfer shared his gratitude for the experience he's gained this year, telling the Irish Independent:"I've been very, very lucky to play with a lot of very good players so far this year. "I've definitely seen my golf game improve, playing tough courses like [Florida course] Doral, so it's definitely prepared me a little bit better. "Yeah, I'm very happy. I've been very lucky to play with a lot of great players who have done well in these major championships and play against them. "I've obviously been playing with Jon [Rahm] in a lot of practice rounds, and then on tournament days as well, so to see how they play the game and how they take on golf courses, it's been very eye-opening." Looking back at last month's PGA Championship, McKibbin acknowledged his cordial relationship with McIlroy, who missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open earlier this month, confessing that he had sent him congratulatory texts following his triumph at Augusta.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store