Michael Block Says He'd Be 'One Of The Best Players In The World' With McIlroy's Distance

Michael Block says his "world class" short game would "hands down" make him one of the best in the world if he could hit it as far as Rory McIlroy

Michael Block at the 2023 PGA Championship
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

TOPICS
Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.