Chris Kirk's story is a fascinating one and makes him one of the easiest guys to root for out on Tour. But if you don't know all that much about him, we've highlighted a number of facts to help.
Chris Kirk Facts
1. Chris Kirk was born in Atlanta, Georgia on May 8, 1985.
2. Kirk loves to spend time at the beach and is an avid kayaker, paddleboarder and fisherman.
3. He played college golf at the University of Georgia in Athens and was a member of their 2005 NCAA championship team, also becoming a two-time first-team All-American.
4. While at the University of Georgia, he set a school record of seven individual victories.
5. As a senior, Kirk was presented with the Ben Hogan Award (given annually to the nation's top collegiate player) in 2007.
6. Kirk has represented the United States' national team at the Walker Cup and Presidents Cup. He did so at the former in 2007 at Royal County Down, playing two matches and winning one of them. Kirk played in the Presidents Cup in 2015 and won one point from three matches. In both events, he was on the winning team.
7. He decided to turn professional in 2007, immediately after the Walker Cup.
8. Kirk has won six times on the PGA Tour. His first four wins arrived between 2011 and 2015 when he scooped the 2011 Viking Classic, 2013 McGladrey Classic, 2014 Deutsche Bank Championship, and the 2015 Crown Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
9. He has earned over $31 million in prize money since turning pro.
10. On May 7, 2019, Kirk announced that he was to take an "indefinite leave" from golf to battle his struggles with alcohol and mental health. Then, in 2020, he won on his eighth appearance back on the Korn Ferry Tour, at The King and Bear Classic in Florida. This ended a four-year drought since his last win at Colonial on the PGA Tour in May 2015.
11. Kirk claimed a thrilling victory at the Honda Classic in early 2023 when he defeated Eric Cole in a playoff. That win was his first on the PGA Tour in almost eight years.
12. His wife is called Tahnee and they have three children together; Sawyer, Foster and Wilder.
13. According to his PGA Tour bio, Kirk bought a piano and taught himself how to play.
14. In high school, Kirk had a 4.0 GPA.
15. Kirk was the second leading individual at the 2014 Eisenhower Trophy World Amateur Team Championship.
16. His career-high world ranking was 16th in 2015.
17. Kirk's highest finish in a Major championship to date was a tie for fifth at the 2022 PGA Championship.
18. For the 2022-23 campaign, Kirk was awarded the PGA Tour Courage Award - the trophy which was formerly known as the Comeback Award.
19. His nickname is 'Captain Kirk.'
20. As of the 2024 FedEx Cup Playoffs, Kirk had nine hole-in-ones. His ninth arrived during round one of the FedEx St Jude Championship. Kirk's ace at the 14th helped him to a one-stroke first-round lead via a 64.
