Michael Block on first-round 81 at Colonial: ‘wasn’t shocked by it’

FORT WORTH, Texas — California membership professional Michael Block was residing the dream on the PGA Championship. Thursday at Colonial introduced him again to actuality.

A sensation at Oak Hill when he tied for fifteenth towards the strongest discipline in golf, Block opened with three straight bogeys and completed with three double bogeys over his final 4 holes of an 11-over 81 that left him in final place and 19 pictures behind Harry Corridor within the Charles Schwab Problem.

Block obtained a sponsor exemption — he has one for the RBC Canadian Open subsequent week, too — after his wonderful week on the PGA Championship.

He was on “CBS This Morning,” obtained a textual content from Michael Jordan and signed with WME Sports activities.

“I’ve received nothing,” he mentioned to himself after a tee shot on the thirteenth barely cleared the water and completed on the again left of a inexperienced that had a entrance proper pin.

“In case you are a golfer, you’ve had the day I’ve had,” Block mentioned after his worst rating by seven pictures within the 4 PGA Tour-level occasions he has performed this yr. “You perceive the information of the place the lies aren’t good and the bushes are in your means each time. Even your good pictures are unhealthy, your unhealthy pictures are worse.

“It’s what it’s. I’m going to reside with it,” he mentioned. “I assumed it was going to occur that third or fourth spherical final week at Oak Hill, and it by no means occurred. It occurred now, and I wasn’t shocked by it, to let you know the reality.”

Corridor had a dream begin. The PGA Tour rookie from England took solely 22 putts, the final one an 8-foot birdie for an 8-under 62 that gave him a three-shot lead over Harris English.

Alongside together with his eight birdies, Corridor made par putts of 15 and 30 toes.

Tom Hoge, who performed his faculty golf at TCU and now makes Fort Value his house, holed out for eagle from the seventh fairway on his strategy to a 66.

Scottie Scheffler, who returned to No. 1 on the planet together with his tie for second on the PGA Championship, and defending champion Sam Burns had been within the giant group at 67. Jordan Spieth didn’t make his lone birdie till the eighth gap and opened with a 72.

Corridor modified up his routine this week by enjoying 36 holes of follow at Colonial — a Monday pro-am after which 9 holes on Tuesday and Wednesday. That helps, alongside together with his putter.

“Perhaps that’s the important thing, simply to see a bit extra of the course than I’ve performed previously,” Corridor mentioned. “I didn’t do an excessive amount of totally different. I sort of simply made issues somewhat bit extra easy.”

He missed seven greens and performed these holes in 1 beneath, the most important a chip-in for birdie from about 80 toes on the twelfth gap.

“I used to be actually within the second on the market and decided to play some good golf,” Corridor mentioned. “The 7 out of seven scrambles doesn’t actually shock me as a result of that’s the perfect a part of my recreation, however the best way I hit the ball the primary two-thirds of that spherical was fairly particular.”

Block has been on fairly a journey the final six days. He made the lower on the PGA Championship, performed with Justin Rose on Saturday and Rory McIlroy on Sunday. The 46-year-old head professional at Arroyo Trabuco in Mission Viejo, California, turned in a efficiency as memorable as Brooks Koepka successful his fifth main.

He made a hole-in-one on the fifteenth gap, and his closing from deep tough gave him a tie for fifteenth and an automated spot in subsequent yr’s PGA Championship.

After which he got here crashing again to earth after every week so busy he solely noticed Colonial one time earlier than Thursday. However he wasn’t giving up simply but.

“I’m wanting ahead to popping out tomorrow and enjoying an amazing spherical and giving it every thing I’ve,” he mentioned. “I’ve shot 58, and I’ve shot a 59 in my life, and since what I had in the present day, I wouldn’t be shocked if I did it. So if I do, cool. If not, I’ll be seeing my children and my spouse tomorrow night time in Orange County, California. It’s all good somehow.”

Hoge, who was raised in North Dakota, is so enthusiastic about his Horned Frogs that he flew from Maui to Los Angeles to look at TCU within the faculty soccer champions recreation (a blowout loss to Georgia) after which flew again to Hawaii for the Sony Open.

He received off to an honest begin till his spherical stalled. It got here to life on No. 6 when his strategy settled inches away from the cup. After which on the seventh, he hit 8-iron from 157 yards straight into the cup for an eagle.

It’s simply the beginning he wanted after lacking the lower at Colonial the final 3 times.

“The previous couple of years, I actually struggled on Thursday then sort of fought again on Friday to attempt to make the lower,” Hoge mentioned. “It was actually a spotlight this yr to attempt to get off to a superb begin, attempt to be somewhat extra affected person and letting the spherical come to me. Making a number of birdies off the bat was very nice.”