Michael Block says that if he had Rory McIlroy’s “stupid length” off the tee, he’d be “hands down” one of the best players in the world.
The 46-year-old PGA pro was the plucky underdog turned PGA Championship hero last week, but is now seemingly filled with self-belief.
Whether such brash claims will go down well with his new legion of fans, who were attracted by his humility and pure love for golf is another story.
Block certainly has some evidence from Oak Hill as he showcased some nice chipping, clutch putting and, of course, that magical 7-iron that he used for a slam dunk hole-in-one in his final round.
Paired with McIlroy on Sunday, Block got a close-up view of one of the best players in the world, but speaking to Bob Menery on the Ripper Magoo podcast he said there was only one real difference in their games.
“He’s a lot longer than I am, that’s what it is,” Block said of the difference between his game and McIlroy’s on the Ripper Magoo podcast.
And the Californian club pro insists he has a “world class” short game that would put him right up there with McIlroy – if he just had that length off the tee.
“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.”
While we’ve only seen a small sample size of Block’s capabilities, he did mix it with most of the world’s best players over as tough a test as you’ll find at Oak Hill.
They’re still strong words though, and sure to raise a few eyebrows, and he’ll now have to try and back them up as he plays in the Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour this week and the RBC Canadian Open in early June.
