When Chris Kirk won the 2023 Honda Classic to end an eight-year wait for a victory, he spoke openly about his troubles with alcohol and depression, issues he’s touched on once again following a thrilling sixth PGA Tour victory in Hawaii.
Shortly before his 34th birthday in May 2019, Kirk announced he would be taking an “indefinite leave” from golf to deal with his alcohol abuse and mental health.
He has since opened up about his journey to sobriety and how it has saved his career, saying that he came “close to losing everything that I cared about”.
With a second victory in the space of 11 months, the 38-year-old now appears to be in a good place on and off the golf course.
A sensational birdie at the par-4 17th gave the American a one-shot win at The Sentry in Hawaii, but Kirk said afterwards that there was a time when he “lost the joy of most things in life”.
Asked what he thought about being always being referred to as “the guy who had to step away to overcome alcohol and depression”, Kirk gave a simple reply.
“I hope it stays with me forever.”
He added: “My PGA Tour career would have been over a while ago, had I not gotten sober.
“So, yeah, I'm fine with that staying with me for until the day I die.”
Kirk also admitted that despite not looking over the moon, he was definitely feeling the buzz inside.
“I love the work that it takes to try to be the best version of myself. I definitely have fallen back in love with that process.
“I probably don't look very happy, but that's kind of by design.
“I sort of feel like… even on the last hole when all I needed to do make was par to win, I just was like, you know, I wasn't willing to break character, if you will.”
Kirk was full of praise for his team in helping him him to play his best golf again and rediscover his love of the game.
“I've got the kind of my group of people with [Cromie] Michael, my caddie; Jeremy Elliott, my agent; Scott Hamilton, my swing coach; Zach Sorensen is my mental coach; and Jake Crane is my trainer.
“I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, it's like they don't care because I pay them, they truly, really care about me and truly care about me being successful, and so I feel that every day.
“It's amazing having that group of people behind me and it just makes me more motivated to want to go to work for it.”
