PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Club professional Michael Block has joined considerably more famous company near the top of the leaderboard at the PGA Championship.
The 46-year-old Block, the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo, California, birdied three of his first five holes of the second round to climb to 2 under as he heads to his second nine at Oak Hill. That put Block two shots behind first-round leader Bryson DeChambeau, who will begin his second round Friday afternoon.
This is the fifth PGA appearance for Block, who qualified by finishing in a tie for second at the PGA Professional Championship this month. He has yet to make the cut in six previous starts at major championships.
Block began the second round by rolling in an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 10th hole at the East Course. He hit his approach to tap-in range on the par-4 12th and drained a 12-footer for birdie on the short par-4 14th.
Block is putting himself in solid position to make it to the weekend. The 156-man field will be reduced to the top 70 and ties later Friday.
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Bryson DeChambeau has the lead at the PGA Championship, his first time atop a leaderboard in a major since he won the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.
That was assured when PGA Tour rookie Eric Cole returned to Oak Hill on Friday and sent his first shot on the sixth hole into the water and made double bogey.
DeChambeau opened with a 4-under 66 on Thursday and has a one-shot lead over Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson, Corey Conners and Cole.
The first round was suspended Thursday night because of darkness, due to a two-hour frost delay at the start of the opening round. Cole was at 5 under and in the middle of the sixth fairway. He finished with three straight pars.
Phil Mickelson held it together until the very end. His shot from the rough stayed below the 18th green in more rough. He didn't advance that to the green, chipped the next one 12 feet short and two-putted for double bogey. He wound up with a 73.
Even with the frost delay, the PGA Championship is back on schedule. The second round began as 30 players were finishing their first round. Justin Rose chipped in for birdie on his last hole for a 69, making it 16 players who broke par in the opening round.
The next task for Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm was to be among the top 70 and ties who make the cut.
DeChambeau plays in the afternoon.
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