• Michael Block turned an in a single day sensation for his play on the PGA Championship.
• Block makes use of the mantra “Why not?” to achieve confidence and has it written on his golf balls.
• The phrase was initially impressed by his want to be a greater position mannequin for his children.

Michael Block went from native golf professional to in a single day cult hero, a outstanding journey that was fueled by inspiration he present in fatherhood.

Block, a 46-year-old native PGA skilled, was the largest story on the PGA Championship, the place he went toe-to-toe with the world’s finest golfers, many a lot youthful than him. Whereas his Fifteenth-place end as a long-shot underdog was nice, his happy-go-lucky character made him an prompt star amongst golf followers.

Being a golfer with a optimistic angle didn’t come naturally to Block, however his want to be an excellent dad did, and the latter ultimately led to the previous.

Block, who has the phrase “Why not?”on his golf balls, defined the origin of his inspirational mantra earlier than the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky. Block stated it began as a contented face simply after his children have been born.

“I used to be a really pissed off golfer, as many are,” Block informed the media throughout a press convention. “I might get very pissed off on the golf course. And I simply had kids, two boys … and I did not need to display this to my boys in any way. I needed to be an excellent position mannequin to my kids. So I truly began writing glad faces on my golf ball simply to attempt to get me in an excellent temper even when I didn’t execute a shot.”

Block stated that the glad faces felt foolish, so he switched to a easy query mark to remind him to be optimistic on the course.

“One among my foremost issues over the golf ball is full dedication, and the one method you are going to have full dedication is in case you have full confidence in your self in executing the shot,” Block stated. “And the way in which that I try this mentally is pondering why not; why cannot I execute this shot completely? Why cannot I make this shot? Why cannot I make the lower in a TOUR occasion, and why cannot I compete in a significant championship?”

As for the way he went from a query mark to the written-out phrase “Why not?” that got here from one of many largest moments of his profession previous to this week’s PGA Championship.

—Trey Herring (@TreyBreezy17) May 19, 2023

In 2007, he was in a playoff at a qualifier with a spot in that 12 months’s US Open on the road. Based on E. Michael Johnson of Golf Digest, Block’s caddie talked about that if he made a 22-foot putt, he can be within the US Open.

Block stated to himself, “Why not?” after which sank the putt.

Block later defined on the 2014 PGA Championship that “Why not?” is now his mindset anytime he’s on the golf course, whether or not it’s a native occasion, a PGA Tour event, or a significant championship.

“I take the identical mentality each time I am over the golf ball now,” Block informed the media.

Block’s dedication to his household can also be why we can’t see him grinding on the course each week, in search of a shot on the PGA Tour.

After ending his last spherical on Sunday on the PGA Championship, he stated there can be no excursions in his future. As a substitute, he desires to compete when he’s in a event after which return to his membership and hang around together with his household. 

Apart from, he nonetheless will get to compete every so often. 

This week’s event was his twenty fifth profession PGA Tour occasion and his fifth profession PGA Championship. He has additionally performed in two US Opens. Block’s T15 end this week earned him an computerized spot in subsequent 12 months’s PGA, and he was additionally invited to play on this week’s Colonial.

Can Block breakthrough and ultimately win considered one of these tournaments? Why not?