When Chris Kirk tees it up at this week’s RSM Traditional, the FedExCup Fall’s finale at Sea Island, it is going to mark simply his second begin because the Tour Championship in September. Name it an offseason, name it no matter you need, however Kirk has taken full benefit of the break day.
His two essential fall objectives: Break 200 and 80.
For one, he appears to be like slightly completely different since most of us final noticed him; he’s added about 15 kilos to his 6-foot-3 body, presently 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 somewhat 10 to fifteen hours per week within the health club and a loaded weight loss program.
“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 latest months. Whereas he’s but to interrupt 80 whereas taking part in 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 taking part in 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 lately rediscovered his itch.
“So far as essentially the most tough factor, I’d say in all probability like hitting actually cast-iron pictures 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 an honest quantity of fairways. … My brief sport’s not like incredible, however I believe that it’s a method less complicated movement than like hitting a 5-iron.
“I’m like a newbie golfer in some methods, nevertheless it’s like I’m beginning over, however like I already know all of the solutions, you realize, so I simply can’t bodily do it.”
As of late, Kirk’s lefty rounds sometimes come whereas taking part in 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 received up and down on the final gap to shoot like 99 from the precise like tee markers,” Kirk mentioned. “Quite a lot 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.”