Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
The magic continues for the Southern California club pro as Block was faced with a near impossible shot and made it look easy.
The Block party continues on a bridge.
Michael Block, the club pro who achieved international fame at last week’s PGA Championship, found his drive in a precarious position during his first round at the Charles Schwab Challenge Thursday.
On the 10th hole, a 385-yard par 4, the fairway runs out around the 270-yard mark, forcing tour players to hit less than driver off the tee. A penalty area sits just beyond the fairway.
Consequently, Block pushed his 3-wood to the right and got an unfortunate bounce as his ball continued to roll down the cart path.
His tee shot came to rest on a bridge, which crosses the penalty area that bisects the 10th hole.
“That was the worst tee shot I have ever hit in my life,” Block muttered as caught by Golf Channel’s cameras.
Since the bridge crosses a penalty area, Block could not receive free relief, per Clay Neely, the PGA Official who provided the ruling.
Had Block taken a drop, he would have been assessed a penalty stroke because his tee shot ended up within the red-staked area.
But Block did not want to take a penalty stroke, so he made the most of his situation.
He took a wedge from his bag, played the shot from the bridge, somehow avoided trees and limbs, and landed his ball 48 feet short of the flag on the fairway leading up to the green.
“Oh, come on now,” said Golf Channel’s Terry Gannon after Block hit his second shot at 10. “Just add it to the legend. It continues to grow.”
Block, who received a congratulatory message from Michael Jordan, echoed the basketball legend by shrugging in disbelief as soon as he walked off the bridge where he played his shot.
“Better than taking a penalty, right guys?” Block said to the spectators who watched him pull this shot off.
Despite going on to making par at 10, Block struggled during his first round at the Charles Schwab Challenge. He shot an 11-over and is in last place. So, maybe the legend won’t continue much longer.
