Chris Kirk is a six-time PGA Tour winner. But he is a father first, a husband next, and a golfer last. That’s the sequence of orders on his Instagram bio. Kirk walked down the aisle with Tanhee in 2009. In their 15 years of marriage, the Kirks have been blessed with three kids. 

Tanhee, gave birth to their firstborn, Sawyer Montgomery, On March 15, 2012. “Coolest day of my life. Just unbelievable,” Chris Kirk tweeted at that time. The middle child, Foster, was born somewhere around December 2013, or January 2014. 

Whereas, the Kirk family welcomed their third son on August 14, 2017. “Very proud to announce the arrival of Wilder James Kirk!!! 7 lbs 4 oz born at 7:45 am. He and Tahnee are both doing great,” the six-time PGA Tour winner posted on his Instagram with a picture of his two sons holding the newborn on their lap. 

Interestingly, one of Kirk’s very first Instagram posts was a picture of his son with his mother. The 39-year-old captioned, “Two of my babies.” Kirk’s Instagram feed is littered with pictures of his family members, all with heartwarming captions and behind-the-scenes stories.

However, not too long ago, Kirk was a ‘struggling’ father. The six-time PGA tour winner succumbed to alcoholism. And his career took a nosedive. Struggling both inside the ropes and outside, Kirk had to seek help—if not for himself, then for his wife and his. 

Chris Kirk’s wife talked about his struggle and the impact on family life

Kirk’s struggles were very public. More than his baffling form on the greens; the lack of fire was jarring. For his kids, it was hard to watch their dad struggle. Soon, the problem entered inside the four walls of his home. Tanhee revealed the young ones didn’t understand what was wrong; Kirk always kept a happy face in front of them. But Sawyer knew something was amiss. 

Their marital life was thrown into a tailspin as well. Tanhee admitted that sometimes she felt like shouting, “Man, I didn’t sign up for this.” Moreover, their kids were growing up. On one hand, she wanted to protect them. On the other hand, Tanhee felt they should know, at least a bit, about what was going on. Why their father wasn’t his usual self. 

This is why when Chris Kirk netted his first victory after seven years, it meant a lot for his family. After Kirk received the PGA Tour Courage Award, Tanhee wrote, “It’s so important for our kids to see this. Our younger two, they don’t really have any idea what he’s gone through. Our oldest son does. It’s important for them to see what can happen when you put your mind to something.” Kirk’s gradual journey toward sobriety has been amply rewarded in the next few years. A year after netting his first victory in seven years, Kirk won again at the 2024 Sentry.