PGA Championship Inspiration Michael Block Grew Up in Iowa

The more you know right? One of the best stories from the sports world over the weekend and over the past several years has a great local tie to the Hawkeye State.

Michael Block, who was one of roughly 20 PGA Professionals that were invited to compete in last weekend's PGA Championship, made the most of the opportunity.

He was a model of consistency and a provider of endless 'wow' moments over the weekend, finishing in the top 15 at +1 for the tournament.

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His ace on hole 15 on Sunday will live in infamy, as will his late par save that solidified his tremendous finish after having been paired with the great Rory McIlroy.

After some digging, one can find that the California-based PGA Pro actually spent some of his childhood in Iowa.

Per Wikipedia:

Block was born on June 15, 1976, in Reno, Nevada, growing up first in Davenport, Iowa and then the St. Louis area of Missouri.^[1]^[3]^[4] During his adolescence, he played golf in Bellerive at the Bellerive Country Club 2 miles (3.2 km) from his home,^[5]^[6] before graduating from Parkway Central High School in Chesterfield, Missouri in 1994.^[2]^[4]^[7] He attended Mississippi State University and the University of Missouri–St. Louis, playing college golf at both, before receiving a degree in golf course management from the San Diego Golf Academy.^[1]^[4]

It's just icing on the cake for Iowans to follow such a great story and have it be tied to your home state as well.

Michael Block will not only compete in next year's PGA Championship, but has also been invited to numerous events in the coming weeks and months.

We're all rooting for one of the greatest sports stories we've ever seen to continue.

Source: Michael Block Wikipedia

Have You Ever Explored the 'War Eagle Monument' on the South Dakota/Iowa Border?

Originally being from the Sioux City area, I grew up knowing about the War Eagle Monument perched on a bluff along I-29. There was at least one field trip for every kid in the area to the monument.

However, speaking with folks from Sioux Falls, they didn't seem to know what I was talking about. All they know about I-29 in Sioux City was that it was usually under construction.

When crossing into Iowa from South Dakota on I-29, look up!