AUGUSTA — Former Etowah High School star, and University of Georgia standout, Chris Kirk is sober and back at Augusta National to play in his first Masters since 2016.
Ask him and he’ll say playing this week would have never happened without him taking the time to rehabilitate. And it’s been a culmination of a lot of help and soul searching.
kAmz:C<[ bf[ EFC?65 AC@ :? a__f] w6 3682? 9:D 42C66C @? E96 !vp %@FC :? a_`` 2?5 H@? 2D 2 C@@<:6] w6 925 E9C66 >@C6 H:?D 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 a_`d D62D@?] xE E@@< 6:89E >@C6 J62CD E@ H:? 282:?[ 3FE :E H2D H92E 92AA6?65 :?\36EH66? E92E H2D 9:D 3:886DE G:4E@CJ]k^Am
kAmz:C< 925 DE2CE65 5@H? E96 C@25 @7 2=4@9@=:D> 2?5 56AC6DD:@?] qJ E96 E:>6 a_`h C@==65 2C@F?5 96 <?6H 96 ?66565 96=A] w6 925 EC:65 2 4@FA=6 @7 E:>6D E@ DE@A 5C:?<:?8[ 3FE 96 <?6H 96 C624965 9:D 3C62<:?8 A@:?E 27E6C 2 92C5 ?:89E :? }6H ~C=62?D] %96 ?6IE 52J[ pAC:= ah[ a_`h E@ 36 6I24E[ 96 7:?2==J BF:E]k^Am
kAmxE 925 366? 2 DECF88=6 7@C z:C<[ 2?5 96 D2:5 96 925 366? =J:?8 E@ 9:>D6=7 7@C D@ =@?8[ E92E 96 C62==J H2?E65 E@ 36 EC2?DA2C6?E 8@:?8 7@CH2C5] xE’D H9J H96?6G6C 96 :D 2D<65 23@FE @G6C4@>:?8 9:D :DDF6D[ 96’D >@C6 E92? H:==:?8 E@ E2=< 23@FE :E]k^Am
kAm“%96 C62D@? 7@C AFC6=J 36:?8 @A6? 23@FE :E H2D x DA6?E 2 =@E @7 J62CD C62==J 9:5:?8 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D 2?5 =J:?8 E@ A6@A=6 2C@F?5 >6[ =J:?8 E@ >JD6=7[” z:C< D2:5] $@ @?46 x <:?5 @7 8@E H96C6 x 76=E =:<6 x 5:5?’E 92G6 2?JE9:?8 E@ 9:56[ :E 76=E D@ 8@@5 2?5 7C66:?8 E@ 36 9@?6DE 23@FE :E]”k^Am
kAm(96? 96 C6EFC?65 E@ E96 %@FC 2E E96 368:??:?8 @7 E96 a_`h\a_ D4965F=6 96 E@@< 9:D E:>6 C6244=:>2E:?8] w6 A=2J65 `` 6G6?ED E92E D62D@? 367@C6 4@>A6E:?8 :? 2 7F== D4965F=6 E96 7@==@H:?8 J62C]k^Am
kAmu2DE 7@CH2C5 E@ E9:D D62D@?[ 2?5 :E =@@<D =:<6 z:C< :D 324< 2?5 >2J36 36EE6C E92? 6G6C] x? `c 6G6?ED E9:D J62C 96 92D 2=C625J A@DE65 7@FC E@A `_ 7:?:D96D[ 96 :D D6G6?E9 @? E96 u65tI rFA A@:?ED =:DE 2?5 96 :D 324< E@ }@] ba :? E96 ~77:4:2= (@C=5 v@=7 #2?<:?8D] w6 7:?:D965 E9:C5 :? 324<\E@\324< H66<D 2E E96 $@?J ~A6? 2?5 E96 p>6C:42? tIAC6DD] p >@?E9 =2E6C 96 D9@E C@F?5D @7 eh\ea\ee\eh E@ 7:?:D9 `c\F?56C A2C 2E E96 w@?52 r=2DD:4] w6 362E tC:4 r@=6 :? 2 A=2J@77 E@ 4=2:> 9:D 7:CDE H:? :? 2=>@DE 2 564256[ 2?5 :E 62C?65 9:> 2 C6EFC? EC:A E@ pF8FDE2]k^Am
kAm“x’> G6CJ E92?<7F= E92E E9:?8D 92G6 H@C<65 @FE E96 H2J E96J 92G6[” z:C< D2:5] “x >256 2 76H 8@@5 564:D:@?D 2?5 8@E 2 H9@=6 =@E @7 96=A 7C@> 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 2=@?8 E96 H2J] v@5 H:??:?8[ x’> 96C6]k^Am
kAm“xE’D AC6EEJ 2>2K:?8] xE 766=D =:<6 2 4F=>:?2E:@? @7 2 92?57F= @7 J62CD @7 C62==J 92C5 H@C<[ 3FE 2=D@ =@@<:?8 2E :E 2D =:<6 x H2?E E@ 36 96C6 7@C 2 =@E @7 J62CD :? 2 C@H]”k^Am
kAm%9:D H:== 36 E96 7@FCE9 |2DE6CD DE2CE @7 9:D 42C66C] x? EH@ @7 E96 AC6G:@FD E9C66 96 92D >256 E96 4FE H:E9 9:D E@A 7:?:D9 36:?8 2 E:6 7@C a_E9 :? a_`c] w6 86ED 9:D @A6?:?8 C@F?5 DE2CE65 %9FCD52J 2E `_i_e 2]>][ A=2J:?8 H:E9 p3C292> p?46C 2?5 z6682? qC25=6J]k^Am
kAm“x <?6H[ :7 x ;FDE D@CE @7 A=F8865 2H2J[ x 2=H2JD 36=:6G65 E96C6 H2D 2 8@@5 492?46 x 4@F=5 W86E 324< 96C6X] }@E 7@C DFC6 @3G:@FD=J[ 3FE :E’D 2? 9@?@C E@ 36 324< 96C6 7@C DFC6] x =@G6 6G6CJE9:?8 23@FE E96 |2DE6CD]”k^Am
Recommended for you
The rise in young business ownership across the U.S. signals a shifting entrepreneurial landscape, with younger Americans increasingly taking the leap into self-employment. Analyzing the newest data available from the U.S. Census Bureau, researchers identified the U.S. metros and states with… Click for more.Cities With the Most Business Owners Under 40
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.