ROCHESTER (N.Y.) — Michael Block, golf’s totem, is the relatable everydaymen who are invited to, and pointed at, during State of the Union Addresses. His experiences show the positive effects of the policies that the administration favors. The PGA of America will not find a more fitting emblem for this week’s event at Oak Hill Country Club.
The 46-year old club professional is the epitome of a feel-good story. He spent most of Friday in the top tier of the leaderboard, but a few late stumbles saw him sign for his second consecutive 70. A handful of strokes off the pace, but still well ahead of some of the best golfers around the world who are paid to play and not teach.
He said, “I’m feeling like I have the game to compete this week.” “I made it, which, as I’ve told you, is a major goal. I feel I could even shoot par here every single day. “I feel that at the end four days, that could be a pretty decent result.”
Block is not a novice in this environment. Block has made 17 starts on the PGA Tour and this is his seventh major. He is a frequent player in California, where he plays with the world’s No. He beat Patrick Cantlay by just one stroke over 36 holes. He said modestly, “I don’t know who beat me, or who I didn’t beat.” “I will do my best, put my head down, and play as well I can over the next two nights.”
Block will be carried aloft by the PGA of America as a testament to what their members bring to The PGA Championship. And it should. His presence and performance has added a new dimension to this tournament. Block is a ray of sunlight in a week that has been overcast for club professionals.
Only one club professional remained in the top 100 as Friday progressed. In a field of 156 competitors, the majority were well below the top 100. The performance of any professional, whether club or touring, this week is irrelevant to his eligibility. Both the guys at the opposite ends of leaderboard, Chris Sanger, and Scott Scheffler earned their berths in a fair manner. All 20 club pros competing here did. It’s fine that they are here, but you can ask yourself if the 20 club pros should remain as a quota in future.
The club professionals’ presence at Oak Hill is a testament to both the history of PGA of America and the internal politics of a membership-led organization. Members whose interests need to be incorporated in the running of an important event for the game. The PGA Championship used to invite 40 club professionals. This number was reduced to 25, and then to 20 in 2006.
Now is the time to review it.
The PGA of America is entitled to, and even has an obligation, to honour its members. The PGA of America has a right, and even an obligation to honor its members. But inviting the top twenty finishers from the PGA Professional Championships to compete at the PGA Championship dilution its most valuable asset while increasing the value its member tournament. The bar should be raised. The standard is raised by only awarding spots to the top 10. Block’s storyline would have been intact if the top-10 cutoff had not been implemented, as he was qualified for the PPC by finishing second.
Some tour players are very accomplished and sit at home to watch club professionals underperform. The obvious response — that they just need to play better in order to be on the field — is of limited value. They played better. But they lost to someone who finished 20th on the PPC. The club pro faithful might point out with justification that this is only major that does not invite amateurs and that the PGA Championship gives members places that other majors give to young and innocent.
Fairly, neither category will produce a winner. However, one of them is an investment into talent that has a bright future. The Masters is the major that has the highest number of amateurs. Augusta National invites others with grace and favor, not at the expense of other players.
It is time to overhaul the PGA Championship qualification criteria. Golf is a meritocracy, and participation awards should be limited in elite golf. This applies especially to its premier championships. Michael Block’s performance is a great example of the value a club professional can bring to a major championship. However, it also shows how often this is not true for many of his peers.
