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Six-time PGA Tour winner Chris Kirk recently celebrated five years of sobriety, and sent out a message of gratitude to his fans and followers for their support. The American golfer battled issues with alcohol during the peak of his career, and he tumbled down the world rankings before he decided to get help.
Chris Kirk stepped away from the sport in 2019 to seek help with his alcohol addiction and depression. Now, Kirk has been sober for five years and is back on the PGA Tour, with a T10 finish at the RBC Heritage recently. Thanking his fans for all the support they have given him, Kirk said in an Instagram post:
“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.”
Speaking in the video that he posted, Kirk said:
"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."
He went on to say that every good thing that he had in his life was 100 percent because he managed to get sober.
Chris Kirk enjoys two pro wins after making comeback on PGA Tour in 2023
Kirk's discipline and perseverance paid off, as he found himself winning on the PGA Tour once again when he made his comeback to the game. Not only did Kirk win the 2023 Honda Classic in a playoff, but he went on to win the 2024 Sentry Tournament as well.
Kirk has seen his world ranking go up as well, as he now sits at World No. 24 on the OWGR Rankings. He credited his sobriety for the win at the Sentry Tournament and the fact that he was able to get back on track with his PGA Tour career. Speaking via CNN, Kirk said:
“It’s 100% the reason why I’m able to do what I do. I’ve said that a lot, but my PGA Tour career would have been over a while ago had I not gotten sober.”
After making a comeback last year, Chris Kirk was awarded the PGA Tour's courage award for "courage and perseverance in overcoming extraordinary adversity".
