It’s the senior tour DQ heard ’round the world, if such a thing exists.
Michael Block’s disqualification from the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship in Aberdeen, Scotland was not just shocking because it was, well, a story of a DQ from a Legends Tour event. It was shocking because it arrived with a torrent of criticism, a two-shot penalty for showing up late to the tee box, a series of competing accusations … and a much, much larger dose of confusion.
So, what exactly happened? Let’s recount the facts.
Before Sunday:
Things were not going well for Michael Block, senior golf sensation, at the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship. He’d posted three consecutive over-par scores at Trump International — 76-73-78 — leading into Sunday’s final round, an 11-over score that would have been good for 49th place in the competition.
On Sunday Morning:
Block arrived for his tee time but stopped for a photo on his way to the first tee. He was late by “a couple seconds,” in his own estimation, but the rules of golf are unambiguous on this matter (need we remind you of Garrick Higgo’s penalty at the PGA Championship in May?). Block was assessed a two-shot penalty and set out onto his day.
The front nine:
Things did not go well for Blockie after that fateful start. He recorded a 43 on the front nine at Trump International — not quite good enough to chase down tournament leader Darren Fichardt at 12 under — and turned for the back nine well out of contention … and headed the wrong way.
The 10th hole:
Block hit a shot into a bush, then hit a recovery punch shot out of the bush. This is a key detail but I can’t tell you why yet. We’ll return to it momentarily.
The 12th hole:
One final bogey from Block. Then … poof: He was gone from the golf tournament.
What happened after that bogey on 12 remains between Block, his playing partners and their caddies, but here’s what we do know: Ryan French, the intrepid reporter of Monday Q Info, posted that Block had not informed his playing partners of his intent to WD, and had merely walked off the golf course. Block, speaking with Golf Digest’s Evin Priest, argued he did inform his playing partners he was withdrawing with a wrist injury he’d flared up with his punch-out from the bushes on 10.
“Thanked my playing partners, their caddies, the spectators and the walking scorer,” Block said. “Handed the scorecard I was keeping to the other player. Asked the scorekeeper to call an official for a ride in. A gentleman with a European Tour jacket arrives a couple of minutes later and I tell him that I’m withdrawing.”
The withdrawal debacle:
You might note around this time that Block is officially cited with a DQ, not a WD, despite his plainly stated intent to WD from the tournament with a wrist injury.
The reason for this is because, in the eyes of the Legends Tour, Block never actually did WD.
Just as the controversy surrounding the DQ was getting fired up on Sunday evening, the Legends Tour (which is also owned by the European Tour Group, owners of the DP World Tour), released a statement of their own qualifying the situation and attempting to shed light on the dispute.
“Michael Block left the course before completing his round and without completing the necessary process of advising Tour officials of any injury or illness,” the statement reads. “As a result the official listing has been recorded as ‘disqualified’ rather than ‘retired.””
Here’s what Block had to say:
“Once I arrived to the clubhouse, I walked into the championship office to thank them for the week, but no one was there, but thought nothing of it, thinking that I had withdrawn correctly,” Block said. “But I guess the gentleman that gave me the ride was not an official so I was DQ’d, rather than a WD.”
Has Michael Block made a public comment on the matter?
Block, ever the social media content king, was quick to post an Instagram story clarifying the key parts of the story.
“1. Yes, I was a couple of seconds late to my tee time today, got caught up taking pictures for volunteers,” he said in the story.”First time in my career and completely my fault.”
“2. Yes, I did tell my playing partners that I was withdrawing.”
“3. I strongly recommend certain social media accounts from reporting false information.”
I’m not sure “recommend” was the word he was aiming for there, but you get the gist!
So, what REALLY happened?
It’s hard to say without talking to any of Block’s playing partners, but it seems clear that Block stirred at least some confusion with the manner he elected to WD from the Staysure PGA, resulting in a DQ that the Legends Tour seems unlikely to reverse.
Block’s explanation seems perfectly reasonable, if not understandable for a player teetering on +20 for the week and well out of contention.
But, as with all rulings in golf, the responsibility falls upon the player. In this instance, there is little ambiguity on who bears the responsibility. His name is Michael Block, and he bears it with two letters next to his name: DQ.
