PGA Professional Michael Block, who rose to stardom at the 2023 PGA Championship, has received an invitation to play in the Australian Open.
Michael Block joins Cameron Smith, Adam Scott in the Australian Open field
The legend of Michael Block will continue in Sydney, where he hopes to contend once again at the Australian Open.
Photo by Mark Runnacles/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
Jack Milko has been playing golf since he was five years old. He has yet to record a hole-in-one, but he did secure an M.A. in Sports Journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
He gladly accepted.
Block will head to The Australian and The Lakes golf clubs in Sydney to compete in Australia’s national open, scheduled for Nov. 30 to Dec. 3.
Cameron Smith, Adam Scott, and Min Woo Lee—the biggest names in Aussie golf—are also in the field.
But Block is not going to the land down under to tour the Sydney Opera House, climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge, or visit the Great Barrier Reef.
“I’m not coming to Australia for a sightseeing tour; I’m coming to thank everyone for the exemption and prove to everyone I can play in Australia and travel with the game,” Block said, courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald.
“The biggest thing is for me to have confidence, for me to have a good time and to talk to everyone. If I see a volunteer within walking distance, I’m going to thank them. That’s just my deal. I want to thank them, but I love to talk, and it relaxes me. And I don’t know how many Australians will know me by the end of the week. Hopefully, by Saturday and Sunday, I’ve got all the Aussies on my side, and they’re rooting for Block.”
Before going to Sydney, however, Block will tee it up twice during the FedEx Cup Fall.
First, he will head to Mexico for the World Wide Technology Championships.
Then, Block will play in the RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Georgia, the last official event for the PGA Tour in 2023, per Sean Zak of Golf.com.
Block has played in five PGA Tour events so far in 2023, missing the cut in four of them.
The only instance he made the weekend was at Oak Hill, where his surreal hole-in-one on the 15th hole sent shockwaves around the world and helped him finish in a tie for 15th.
He then tried to qualify for The Open Championship but failed to do so.
Perhaps Block can try to replicate the success he had in Rochester in Sydney. But at the very least, the easy-going club pro is excited to visit Australia. He has heard “amazing” things about the place.
Nevertheless, should he catch lightning in a bottle again, Block hopes to play alongside the best Australian golfers in the world, with the title on the line.
“The dream scenario for me in Sydney is if I get paired with [Lee], Scott or [Smith],” Block said. “I probably won’t be paired with them right off the bat, but I hope to work my way up to be with them on the weekend.”
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
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