Chris Kirk has recently become a fan favorite, thanks to his determination to his golf game. However, his alcohol addiction once significantly impacted both his personal and professional life to the extent that he had to take a break from the sport in 2019.
Kirk stepped back from competing in golf tournaments for around six months in order to focus on his recovery, only to return to the golfing scene sober and stronger. Recently marking his fifth year of sobriety, he celebrated this milestone and expressed gratitude to those who supported him on his journey, through an Instagram post.
Chris Kirk said:
“5 years!!! I am so thankful to those who have helped me along the way. The work never stops but I live a life of peace and contentment that I never knew was possible.”
He further added how he was hopeless five years back but is now celebrating sobriety.
“Hey y’all, it’s April 29 and today I’m celebrating five years of sobriety. Five years ago I was completely hopeless and couldn’t see any way out. Thankfully I ran into a group of people that had once been hopeless just like me and showed me the way out.”
It’s worth mentioning that the 38-year-old golfer was recently honored with the PGA Tour’s Courage Award. Additionally, Kirk has secured two victories on the tour in the past twelve months, his recent win being at The Sentry earlier this year.
Chris Kirk’s Stellar Performance in the 2024 Golf Tournaments
Kirk has lately given amazing performances and just last year, he triumphed in a playoff round against Eric Cole at The Honda Classic to secure a win for the first time in 8 years. This year, the six-time PGA Tour champion triumphed once again in the season’s opening event, the Sentry with a one-stroke margin over Sahith Theegala.
After this victory, Kirk expressed how winning the tournament was an unbelievable experience for him (via Sports Sky):
“It [winning] is so unreal. It’s just so unexpected. I had a really great off-season and I got a lot of good work done and felt good about the year, but you never really expect to go shoot 29-under. Yeah, it’s unbelievable.”
Not just that, the golfer has participated in 11 tournaments so far in 2024 and was successful in making the cut in ten of them. He has also given four top-25 finishes and in his most recent appearance at the RBC Heritage, he secured the T10 position alongside Ludvig Åberg. Furthermore, he even set an example for others that one can overcome any challenges and difficulties if they have a true sportsman’s spirit.
