Hello there! Welcome to another edition of “Kaitlyn’s Corner,” – but this time it’s no longer from Kaitlyn the Intern, but rather Kaitlyn, the new Social Media and Content Coordinator. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Anyway, I’m here to recap the super exciting, down to the wire extravaganza that was the 2023 PGA Championship.
It’s no secret that Brooks Koepka, aka my favorite player, aka my hometown hero (we’re both from West Palm Beach), aka Mr. Stroker (if you know, you know), won the coveted title of “PGA Championship Champion.” This was his third PGA Championship win, becoming just the 20th player in history to win five major championships. He’s also taking home $3.15 million–not a bad pay day for Mr. Koepka! I did bet money on my anonymous player again and he failed miserably–don’t think I’ll be doing that again.
Anyhoo, just a few weeks ago Brooksy let The Master’s slip through his fingers and came in just short, so it was clear he was on a mission to win this championship. Brooks managed to persevere through horrible weather conditions and stuck it out, with Victor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler trailing very closely behind him throughout most of the last round.
While Brooks absolutely deserves all of the hype that comes with winning one of the four major championships in professional golf, the spotlight was shined on someone else for some of the time–and that was on 46-year-old club pro, Michael Block. He was the only PGA club pro to make the cut, and boy did he put on a performance.
Going in to the final round tied for eighth, Block had already proven himself enough just by being there, but it was the 15th hole that made him the star–after teeing off, Block was soon greeted with the biggest hug from none other than Rory McIlroy, his playing partner on Sunday, because he SUNK a hole in one! Full on had a Kobe moment–that sucker went right into the hole. He raised his black hat and waved it in front of the fans, he high-fived Rory; it truly was a crazy moment to watch.
After the round on Sunday, Block said he’s planning on competing in next week’s Charles Schwab Challenge, as well as the RBC Canadian open in June. What a whirlwind for that guy. Brooks even poked fun at him after the round, saying, “I hear you’re buying drinks.” Gosh darn I really hope the two of them were able to celebrate together.
Overall I’d say it was yet another successful PGA Championship. It was an extremely exciting matchup with lots of ups and downs, and I personally was extremely happy with the outcome.
Let me know your thoughts on the 2023 PGA Championship!