The who’s who in golf including Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland and Tom Kim feature prominently on the PGA Tour’s roll of honour in the recently concluded 2023 season.
Throw in Chris Kirk and some would be asking, Chris who?
In one of the most compelling stories of 2023, the 38-year-old’s perseverance and determination have been an inspiration to fans from all walks of life.
Not only did Kirk win the Honda Classic in February for his fifth PGA Tour title – ending an eight-year drought – he beat alcoholism and depression and has since become an advocate to others battling the same demons that haunted him for years.
For his triumph over adversity, he received the 2023 PGA Tour Courage Award. “I didn’t really feel like I was going to play golf again, much less be here with all of you,” he said in a ceremony on Nov 14 during the RSM Classic.
After a stellar amateur career, his rise in the professional ranks was rapid as he won four times on tour between 2011 and 2015. He became a top 20 player, secured a crucial point for the United States to win the Presidents Cup 15½-14½ in 2015 and looked destined to be one of the greats of his generation.
But away from the glare of the cameras, Kirk was embroiled in a different battle – there were occasions where he would wake up in a daze in his hotel room, passed out after a night of drinking.
He tried to quit a few times, but after weeks of abstinence, the anxiety and depression that contributed to his issues would become too much to bear.
In sharing his story, Kirk recalled the date April 29, 2019, when he finally owned up to his family and closest friends. With his wife Tahnee’s support, he found a support group to help address the issues that led him to drink and he was able to quit for good. A week after his last drink and one day before his 34th birthday, the American announced his decision to take a leave of absence from the tour.
“I have dealt with alcohol abuse and depression for some time now. I thought I could control it, but after multiple relapses I have come to realise I can’t fix this on my own… for now I need my full focus on being the man my family deserves,” he wrote on social media.
Ultimately, the father of three young boys knew he needed a wake-up call. “I was just fighting it. Finally, it was just like, ‘OK, I can’t do this any more. I have got to change something because I am going to end up with nothing. I realised I truly do not have control over this.”
Six months later, he returned on tour, and slowly but surely found his feet and golf swing again. He now had a bigger purpose in life. In the ensuing years leading up to his return to the winner’s circle, his ranking rose from outside the top 300 to 52nd. He finished 32nd in the FedExCup standings this season, his second-best achievement in 13 years, following a victory and four top 10s.
By sharing his struggles publicly, Kirk hopes to encourage others to seek help.
“I’ve had probably 30 or 40, maybe 50 stories that I’ve heard directly of people... I owe everything that I have in my entire life to my sobriety. I came really close to losing everything that I cared about,” he said.
“It’s pretty easy to see that winning the Classic is kind of a bonus when literally every good thing I have in my life I owe to that. It’ll be a lot of celebrating, and I thank god that alcohol won’t be a part of it.”
- Chuah Choo Chiang is senior director, marketing and communications – APAC for the PGA Tour and is based in Malaysia. Fans can watch the PGA Tour on Mola TV.
