When Chris Kirk tees it up at this week’s RSM Basic, the FedExCup Fall’s finale at Sea Island, it can 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 off.
His two predominant fall targets: Break 200 and 80.
For one, he appears to be like slightly totally different since most of us final noticed him; he’s added about 15 kilos to his 6-foot-3 body, at present weighing in round 200 kilos after maxing out at 206 a pair weeks in the past. No, it’s not the results of some additional grazing throughout Georgia soccer season however quite 10 to fifteen hours per week within the health club and a loaded food regimen.
“Simply actually attempting to get considerably stronger,” mentioned 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 current 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 means of goofing off together with his buddies. They might barely shoot 130, and Kirk finally gave up left-handed golf for over a decade, however he’s just lately rediscovered his itch.
“So far as essentially the most troublesome factor, I’d say most likely like hitting actually cast-iron photographs is difficult and fairway woods off the bottom, that’s actually, actually exhausting,” Kirk mentioned. “I drive it like fairly good, that’s what makes it enjoyable for me is that I can hit it 250-plus and hit a good quantity of fairways. … My quick recreation’s not like unbelievable, however I believe that it’s a means less complicated movement than like hitting a 5-iron.
“I’m like a newbie golfer in some methods, however it’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.”
Lately, Kirk’s lefty rounds usually come whereas enjoying together with his two oldest boys, Sawyer and Foster, and from one tee field up from the guidelines.
And whereas he shortly forgets most of his photographs, he did bear in mind his current 80, although for an additional motive.
“Sawyer obtained up and down on the final gap to shoot like 99 from the precise like tee markers,” Kirk mentioned. “Loads of occasions they’ll play from both the very entrance tee markers or they’ll begin from someplace within the fairway. I believe it was the primary time he had damaged 100 from just like the precise tee markers … so we had been pumped.”
