A golfing hero is born! Michael Block’s fairy-tale PGA Championship

Despite Brooks Koepka's impressive third PGA Championship victory, the tournament created a new golfing hero – Mr. Michael Block.

Block is a club pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, and became the talk of the tournament, making it to the final round of the PGA Championship, playing alongside Rory McIlroy.

The club pro shot three straight rounds of 70, giving a start on the field on the final day with major championship winner Rory McIlroy. Block couldn't hide his excitement on the third day, saying, "Are you serious!" According to skysports.com.

His dream week only got better on the final day 15^th hole, scoring an incredible hole-in-one on the 150-yard par three.

Block finished with a 71 score in the final round, earning one over-par tournament, placing him tied 15^th and gaining him a spot on next year's PGA field.

His performance has bagged him $288,333 in the process after not even making $100,000 in nearly 30 PGA events previous to this one.

The club pro will return to action next week, receiving a sponsor exemption into the Charles Schwab Challenge, which begins Thursday at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Before last weekend's PGA Championship, Block had only made the cut in four of the 25 PGA events he had entered.

Let's look at who Michael Block is and how he got to the PGA Championship at the weekend!

Michael Block grew up in St Louis and played golf at Mississippi State before transferring to the University of Missouri- St Louis.

The club professional received a degree in golf course management from the San Diego Golf Academy.

Michael Block has enjoyed great success in the Southern California PGA, securing Player of the Year honors in nine of the last ten years, warranting the majority of his PGA starts.

Block has enjoyed five professional wins as a club pro, securing the 2001 California State Open, 2014 PGA Professional National Championship, and three-time winner of the Southern California PGA Championship in 2017, 2018, and 2022.

Last weekend's hero qualified for the tournament after finishing as a runner-up in the 2023 PGA Championship, with the top 20 earning a spot at Oak Hill.

At his course in Southern California, Block charges $125 for a 45-minute lesson and $500 for a nine-hole playing lesson, according to skysports.com.

According to the PGA Tour Twitter account, Block said "I'm absolutely blown away by this experience and I'm blown away by how my games showed up. More than likely, this is going to be the best week of my life."