Golf Channel · Jun 17, 2020
Sober Chris Kirk reflects on what quarantine might have been
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Chris Kirk knows that the timing could have been much worse.
A winner four times on the PGA Tour, the 35-year-old took an extended leave of absence last summer to address issues with alcohol abuse and depression. He missed more than seven months of competition, returning earlier this season at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
Kirk has struggled to get his game on track since returning, missing five of seven cuts. But he’s thankful that he sought treatment when he did, given the prospect of potentially staring down his demons this spring during a pandemic that medical experts expect could amplify depression and substance abuse issues across the country.