Chris Kirk is back in the winner’s circle. After a 29-under performance at The Sentry last week, the 38-year-old is a six-time PGA Tour winner, with two victories coming over the last 11 months — and a career that most players would envy.
“It’s unreal,” he said after his win Sunday. “It’s unbelievable. Still kind of soaking it in.”
Turns out, Kirk is also has some game from the other side of the ball. During the offseason, he posted videos on his Instagram, showcasing his left-handed swing — and the results weren’t too shabby.
“It has been a little over a month since I have hit a ball right handed but… on the grind lefty!” Kirk posted. “[Eighty-two] is my low round so far. Goal is to break 80 in the next 2 weeks before real golf starts back.”
It’s unclear if Kirk ever did break 80 before switching back to his natural side, but an 82 with your non-dominant hand is impressive. Most recreational players struggle to post those kind of scores from their dominant side.
Kirk said that the left-handed rounds began in his youth. He and his friends would choose a week each December to play left-handed, wagering and bantering as they struggled to get the ball anywhere near the hole.
“We were all terrible,” Kirk said. “It was just a lot of talking crap to each other and just having fun goofing off.”
In the years since, Kirk has become a decent player with his left-handed clubs. And, he said, it’s become a great way to reset his expectations and make golf more fun.
“Left-handed, like, if I hit the fairway or if I hit a 7-iron on the green, like, hell, yeah, that’s awesome,” he said. “You know, like, you make two pars in a row, I mean, that’s unbelievable. So it’s just — it brings back a little bit of the kind of childlike nature of the game, and my expectations are so low that it is way easier to be happy about what I’m doing than it is right-handed, to be honest.”
This game can be immensely frustrating. But at the end of the day, it is only a game — and it’s supposed to be fun! So if you find yourself in a rut of terrible golf, and can’t seem to enjoy the game, take a few swipes from the other side of the ball. It might just be what you need to reinvigorate you with child-like joy.
Just don’t expect to be shooting any scores in the low 80s.
