When Chris Kirk tees it up at this week’s RSM Traditional, the FedExCup Fall’s finale at Sea Island, it’s going to mark simply his second begin for the reason that Tour Championship in September. Name it an offseason, name it no matter you need, however Kirk has taken full benefit of the day without work.
His two most important fall objectives: Break 200 and 80.
For one, he appears to be like somewhat totally different since most of us final noticed him; he’s added about 15 kilos to his 6-foot-3 body, at the moment weighing in round 200 kilos after maxing out at 206 a pair weeks in the past. No, it’s not the results of some further grazing throughout Georgia soccer season however fairly 10 to fifteen hours per week within the health club and a loaded weight-reduction plan.
“Simply actually attempting to get considerably stronger,” stated the 39-year-old Kirk, who ranks 99th in driving distance this season on the PGA Tour, averaging simply north of 300 yards per poke.
Kirk can transfer it over 250 yards from the opposite facet, too, which is one thing he’s additionally devoted time to in latest months. Whereas he’s but to interrupt 80 whereas enjoying left-handed, Kirk did birdie the final gap at Athens Nation Membership to shoot 80 on the quantity.
“So it wasn’t like actually even that shut,” Kirk admitted.
Kirk started enjoying lefty after graduating from the College of Georgia and turning skilled. He lived in St. Simons Island, Georgia, on the time and would switch-hit as a method of goofing off together with his buddies. They may barely shoot 130, and Kirk ultimately gave up left-handed golf for over a decade, however he’s not too long ago rediscovered his itch.
“So far as probably the most tough factor, I’d say in all probability like hitting actually cast-iron pictures is tough and fairway woods off the bottom, that’s actually, actually onerous,” Kirk stated. “I drive it like fairly good, that’s what makes it enjoyable for me is that I can hit it 250-plus and hit an honest quantity of fairways. … My brief sport’s not like unbelievable, however I feel that it’s a method less complicated movement than like hitting a 5-iron.
“I’m like a newbie golfer in some methods, but it surely’s like I’m beginning over, however like I already know all of the solutions, you recognize, so I simply can’t bodily do it.”
Nowadays, Kirk’s lefty rounds sometimes come whereas enjoying together with his two oldest boys, Sawyer and Foster, and from one tee field up from the ideas.
And whereas he shortly forgets most of his pictures, he did bear in mind his latest 80, although for an additional purpose.
“Sawyer bought up and down on the final gap to shoot like 99 from the precise like tee markers,” Kirk stated. “A variety of instances they’ll play from both the very entrance tee markers or they’ll begin from someplace within the fairway. I feel it was the primary time he had damaged 100 from just like the precise tee markers … so we have been pumped.”
