‘Not Judge Myself’: PGA Pro Gets Candid About His Horrendous Battle With Alcoholism & Depression

Chris Kirk is back. Kirk plays on the Knox ferry tour and the PGA tours. He has won 4 tournaments between 2011-2015 on the PGA Tour. Kirk reached his career best in 2015 by getting 16 in the world ranking.

Kirk has battled with alcoholism and depression, but he has not shied away from accepting his mental health battles. This is inspiring for a lot of people who have gone through, or are going through similar problems.

 Read More: Chris Kirk Makes Hole-in-One and Creates an Incredible Coincidence at the Mayakoba Classic

Chris Kirk has found a way to strike balance

The pressure of the game was starting to get to Kirk. He started finding solace in drinking. Every putt seemed like life or death to him. 

Kirk decided to take a break from the game after shooting himself out of the Players Championship. Kirk shifted his focus on the good things that were happening in his life. He started to slowly understand that a bad day is not the end of the world and his life has a lot of good things to offer. He found a way to strike a balance between his professional and personal life. 

In a recent interview, when he was asked how his new outlook helps him on the course, he said, “I don’t know if it helps or not, but it definitely helps when I get done playing. I’m able to not judge myself for who I am as a professional golfer. You know, I’m able to have my life as a person and my life as a professional golfer. Two completely independent things.”

He chooses to focus on the fact that he is doing the best he can and not let a bad day bring him down. “I’m able to wake up every day and know that I’m doing the right things, that I’m working hard, that I love my family and I’m doing the best for them and that’s all that really matters.”

Chris Kirk is a role model

Kirk does not have an exceptional career, or any major records to his name like the golf legends. But, him accepting and sharing his struggles with the world makes him inspiring. A lot of athletes have faced the pressure of performance, and only they know how jarring it is to have hundreds and millions of people focused on them and have every move they make is criticized by the experts, the media and the fans.

It becomes difficult to find a work life balance which starts to affect their peace of mind. They constantly think about how they could have performed better and get stuck in the vicious circle of self criticism. 

In such moments it is very courageous of Kirk to only recognize this problem, take some time out to help himself, but also share it with the world. And as mental health issues are stigmatized so, when players like Kirk share their experience it motivates a lot of people.

Watch This Story: Tennis Star Naomi Osakas Moment of Pride When She and Tiger Woods Shared a Prestigious American Honor in 2018