Overwhelming PGA Championship hole-in-one hero Michael Block is sure to have a huge Scottish following when he tees-up this morning (TUES) in a 36-hole Open Championship final qualifier at Dundonald Links.
Block, 47, endeared himself to sports fans around the globe, holing out for an ace at the 15th hole late on the final day of the championship at Oak Hill in upstate New York.
The American brilliantly upstaged playing partner Rory McIlroy, and with his strong finish earning the Californian club pro ‘Special PGA Tour’ membership, however in his two events since finishing T15th at the PGA Championship Block has since struggled missing the cut in each.
Block will tee-up at 7.20am and start his second round at 1.05pm, playing in the company of Scottish amateur Cameron Adam of Royal Burgess and Finland’s Joachim Altonen.
Jack MacDonald heads a contingent of 19 Scots among 288 players over four venues, and vying for just 19 spots into next fortnight’s 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
The 21-year old amateur, is coming off his stunning 9-shot Battle Trophy triumph two months ago at Crail and also will be teeing-up at Dundonald Links.
In fact, all but three Scots will be teeing-up on Dundonald Links and with in-form David Drysdale contesting the 36-holer at the West Lancashire course, and to the north of Royal Liverpool and host to The Open.
Drysdale, 48, is looking to compete in golf’s oldest major for a first occasion since 2017, and also for just a third time since making his Open debut in 2009 at Turnberry.
The Eyemouth-attached Scot heads also into just a third career major coming off making the halfway cut in five of six Challenge Tour events and also three top-25s this season on the Asian Tour.
Other Scots teeing-up include Peebles Darren Howie, Nairn amateur Calum Scott, former British Amateur champ Bradley Neil and another amateur in the Loretto School’s super talented Oliver Muckherjee.
Former 2010 US Open winning Graeme McDowell will join Drysdale along with Masters champ Sergio Garcia at ‘West Lancs’
McDowell has not contested a major championship since missing the cut at the 2020 U.S. Open, and despite birdieing the closing two holes McDowell missed out by a shot in teeing-up in last month’s U.S. Open in LA.
He said: “I’m heading to West Lancashire as it’s going to be my only way to qualify for the Open Championship, and I will be there and prepare as best I can.
“I’ve never been to the course before and looking forward to teeing-up.
“It goes without saying, I still dream of major championships, and I still dream of competing against the best players in the world. Nothing has changed, and LIV hasn’t changed who I am and who I want to be.
“I still believe I am good enough to compete and while I was extremely disappointed not to qualify for the U.S. Open, having birdied the closing two holes and missed out by a shot, hopefully I can earn one of the qualifying spots on offer at West Lancashire and then move on to tee-up at Royal Liverpool”.
Another Masters champ in Charl Schwartzel and fellow South African Branden Grace will fly the LIV Golf flag at Royal Cinque Ports while Marc Leishman, who was in the play-off in 2015 won by Zach Johnson at St Andrews, is teeing up at Royal Porthcawl along with fellow LIV man Cameron Tringale.
