Paige Spiranac’s come to Michael Block’s defense after the club pro’s rise to golf’s elite ended this week, following his performance in the opening rounds of the PGA’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
Block is currently playing in the Texas-based tournament, days after finishing tied for 15th at the PGA Championship, though he finished in last place with an 11-over 81 by the end of the invitational’s first day in Fort Worth on Thursday.
Later that day, Spiranac, a 30-year-old influencer who’s caught the eyes of many golf fans due to her looks and swing, showed support for Block after the 46-year-old was harshly criticized on social media when comparing his own game to Rory McIlroy’s.
‘Feel for Michael Block after his round today,’ she tweeted. ‘There’s so much pressure to perform and no one prepares you for how to handle public scrutiny.
‘One quick video clip or headline can twist the narrative (I know from experience… most recently involving him) so cut him some slack.’
Paige Spiranac – a popular golf influencer – has come out to defend pro club Michael Block
Block was invited to the Charles Schwab Challenge after his PGA Championship performance
After his sensational displays at Oak Hills, Block who earned a sponsored exemption to play in the RBC Canadian Open in June, spoke on the ‘Ripper Magoo Podcast’ and was asked about his playing partner, a certain four-time majors winner hailing from Northern Ireland, at the PGA Championship.
‘He’s a lot longer than I am,’ Block said. ‘What I would shoot from where Rory hits it would be stupid. I think I’d be one of the best players in the world. Hands down.
‘If I had that stupid length, all day. My iron game, wedge game, around the greens, and my putting is world-class.’
Block stood up to all the reaction in relation to his comments about McIlroy on social media, with a lengthy address to his followers on Instagram on Thursday.
‘Whose ever taken out of context the fact that I could be the best player in the world or all that if I could hit it as far as Rory, I mean the fact is, yeah, if I was 60 to 70 to 80 yards longer off the tee, yeah, of course I could compete on the PGA Tour. I mean, come on,’ he said.
‘I’m not, I’m 46, I’m a club pro. These guys bomb it past me, and it’s cool. I’ve got no problem with it. Am I going to be the best player in the world or the top 20 in the world? No, I’m not. I’m still going to be a club pro at the end of the day.
Block received a lot of heat on social media following his recent comments on Rory McIlroy
Block didn’t make the cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge after finishing with a 15 over score
‘I’m not going to be on tour and all that stuff. So, all the haters out there, c’mon, man. I mean, really? It’s me. I’m Michael. I’m having fun.’
Block ended up running out of gas at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where he shot rounds of 81 and 74 by the end of the invitational’s first two days, ultimately finishing 15 over and missing the cut.
‘I have no legs,’ Block said Friday. ‘I was scheduled to fly out at 10:00 a.m. last Saturday. So if that gives you any idea how much confidence I had of making the cut at the PGA Championship.
‘Appreciation for everybody is beyond for me,’ the pro club added. ‘I appreciate everybody that’s shown their support. The people here, the pros here, the members here, the volunteers here, and the fans have been amazing.
‘I thought I was just going to hit a chord with like 40-year-old – what do they call it? Dad bods. I thought I was going to hit a chord with the dad bods, which I think I did, but I think I hit a chord with all the other ones, too, which is really, really cool.’
