[Golf Topic] Kirk on "Depression Treatment" Making a Comeback Shot in the 2nd Tour

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] ○…Chris Kirk (USA, photo) made a 'comeback shot' on the PGA Tour's Korn Ferry Tour (2nd tier).

On the 21st (Korean time), at the final day of The King & Bear Classic (total prize money $600,000) held at St. Augustine Golf Club (par 72) in Florida, USA, he shot 5 under par to secure a one-stroke victory (26 under par 262). He is a player with 4 PGA Tour wins in total. In 2015, he rose to as high as 16th in the world rankings and also participated in the Presidents Cup, the intercontinental golf competition between the USA and the International team, in October. It is interesting that he had been away from the tour for over a year since the BMW Championship in September 2018.

Last May, Kirk confessed on social media, "I will take a break from golf to treat alcohol addiction and depression," adding, "I thought I could overcome this difficulty on my own, but after several failures, I realized it is hard to overcome now." He added, "I don't know when I will return, but I will spend time for myself and my family." He made a comeback through the Mayakoba Classic last November but was cut in five consecutive tournaments afterward.

It is notable that after finishing tied for 60th at the Charles Schwab Challenge on the 15th, Kirk turned his attention to the 2nd tier tour. It is the first time in 10 years since 2010. With this victory marking his comeback mode, Kirk said, "I am a completely different person than I was two years ago," and expressed gratitude to everyone around him. "I will quickly go home and hug my wife and three sons," he said, hoping, "I hope this will be a good opportunity to continue my career as a player."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.