Chris Kirk follows his tee shot during the first round of the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii. | Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Chris Kirk opened his 2024 season with a win at The Sentry, and he is now contending again at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
After his electric win at The Sentry to open up the season, Chris Kirk struggled to settle down in the evenings.
And who could blame him? Kirk won $3.6 million and took home 700 FedEx Cup points in Maui while fighting off some of the best players in the world.
No wonder why he could not sleep.
“It’s hard to get your mind to slow down a little bit,” Kirk said after the opening round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
“I had trouble sleeping a few nights, but thankfully, I was able to take some naps. I slept great [Wednesday] night. I am really trying not to over-exert myself. I had a couple of good workouts in the gym Monday and Tuesday to feel like you’re flushing things out and getting the blood flowing.”
Luckily for Kirk, he finally settled down on Wednesday and slept well on the eve of the Sony Open. That undoubtedly helped him card a 4-under 66 on Thursday, as he sits four shots behind Cam Davis.
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Chris Kirk hits a shot during the first round of the 2024 Sony Open.
Only five players sit between Kirk and Davis, who shot a fantastic 8-under 62 in blustery conditions.
“Very solid. I hit the ball great today in tough conditions,” Kirk said of his opening round.
“It’s been a few years since we played in this much wind here. A lot of years since we played in this wind direction. From what I remember, usually, when it blows out of the west like this, it’s relatively light. So some of those holes, some of the par-4s, we’re used to hitting driver and a wedge in, and [instead] it’s a drive to mid to long iron.”
Kirk has played at the Sony Open in Hawaii every year since 2011, so he knows his way around Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.
He finished solo third last year and tied for 2nd in 2021. He also recorded back-to-back top-5 finishes in 2013 and 2014.
“Definitely don’t mind when it blows here and plays a little bit tougher,” Kirk added. “I’ve had some good results here in a lot of different conditions.”
The wind will blow steadily again on Friday, with gusts up to 25 miles per hour expected.
But that will not bother Kirk, similar to how his lack of sleep earlier in the week did not bother him either.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
