NO MORE HAPPILY EVER AFTER - THE MICHAEL BLOCK STORY IS RUNNING DRY WITH EVERY SWING HE TAKES

Mario Russo

Over the last two weeks, PGA Professional Michael Block has overhauled all the storylines within the golfing world. Heck, even his tie for 15th at last week’s PGA Championship managed to edge out the headlining story of tournament winner Brooks Koepka and his historic accomplishment at Oak Hill.

It didn't take much to pry open the often-stubborn hearts of golf fans with a guy like Block. Instilled in the 46-year old club professional remained a charismatic relationship between himself and all those who have played the game before him.

A charm often omitted from the sport entirely. A formula that amidst all its complexity, can be simply boiled down to a man chasing a dream that few have done before. A man that through all that was possible, seeked refuge in discovering what it felt like to achieve the impossible.

Relatable refuge indeed, as that chase lingers inside all the players and fans of the sport with every made putt. Every dusted drive and water-bound wedge shot. Every hard left and right slice.

Everything that Michael Block experienced while producing what will ultimately be remembered as an unforgettably imitable moment in the game’s longstead history.

That is, at least it should.

The name Michael Block will undeniably be attached to the 105th PGA Championship for an infinite amount of time. Whether that triggers memories of his ace on 15, or the indelible impression he left on the 18th green as a result of his layup from the gallery, the ‘block party’ will remain a timeless artifact at Oak Hill.

Yet as it currently stands, the most recent memory fans will have of the club professional involves his name sitting dead last on the leaderboards of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club, well off the pace at 15 over par.

More of the same can be seen at the RBC Canadian Open as well, an event Block was invited to immediately after his 15th place finish at the PGA Championship. He will be part of a long list of sponsorship exemptions looking to create similar zero-to-hero stories in two weeks time.

However, a weekend without Block is just as much good for the sport as it is bad. Why must fans bear witness to the downfall of a hero? Especially one that should only be remembered for slaying the aging dragon in the most relatable style possible at a major event.

Didn’t he himself say “It doesn't get better than this” in just about every one of his post-round interviews?

Then why is the chase for something better still on?

Block is an average golfer, one that is less than a week removed from experiencing a not-so-average accomplishment in an environment that pummels the mainstream mediocre.

The script writer's dream story sat at a perfect length last Sunday. Palpable, easy on the eye and reinforced with layers of understandable emotion from start to finish.

It was the story that needed an ending, and got one in the most suspenseful way possible. The credits should have been rolled immediately after Block’s heartfelt interview with ​​Amanda Balionis that cut directly into the hearts of viewers worldwide, but instead, fans were stripped of the happily ever after.

The once-in-a-lifetime story has run out of pages, yet the ink still continues to pour out and stain the cover in which it inhabits. With every new event Block participates in, his story at the PGA Championship fades further and further into the distance.

No longer remembered as the little engine that could, but rather the little engine that couldn't tell when to call it quits.

Soon to be unhinged from its tracks. Plunging back into the abyss of mediocrity.

But this isn't the story fans want to tell their grandkids at the dinner table. It likely isn't the ending Block wants to attach to his either. In a world where wholesome and relatable events are few and far between, there is no need to relegate a good thing that was already made, rather than in the making.

Fairytale endings are generational. Timeless in nature, with an objective to preserve both the moment and sport for years to come. Unfortunately for Block, the story writers bit off more than they could chew when chronicling his unforgettable moment in the history books.

Their pens moved quicker than their brains. The traditionally methodical rhythm that became a hallmark of the storytelling process was abandoned without a trace.

The pages oversaturated themselves with ink as the name ‘block’ smeared itself in uninviting places, tangling with misplaced words and tripping over loose commas. In this book, Block’s name sits comfortably beside the word ‘cutline’ rather than being a healthy interval away. It now seems normal.

The ink continues to drip and wiggle its way from page to page, cover to cover, in lateral movement along the spine. The words ‘happily ever after’ stand buried below the loose ink.

It quickly dries in the summer heat.