Chris Kirk's fourth (!) PGA Tour hole-in-one highlighted his impressive opening-round 64 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the first leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Here's what Chris Kirk said about his best-ever FedEx Cup Playoffs round.
Chris Kirk drills ace, grabs St. Jude Championship lead
Amidst sweltering conditions at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Kirk drilled his tee shot on the 205-yard par-3 14th. The ace, coming after five birdies, moved the 39-year-old to 7-under for the round.
“The adjusted number I think was 200 or 201,” Kirk said after playing 18 holes in 90-degree weather. “We had it a little bit down the hill, just a breath of breeze off the right, and 6-iron for me, which was, in this heat, it's a perfect number.
“I'm usually around 196 or 197 with a 6-iron. Everything is going a couple yards further with the heat this week. Great number. I was looking a little further left than that with water on the right, but as soon as I hit it, I hit it just how I wanted to contact-wise, looked up, saw it started a touch right but was drawing right back to it. Yeah, nice bonus.”
Kirk guessed it was the ninth hole-in-one of his golfing life.
Kirk kicked off the 2024 PGA Tour season with a first-place finish at the Sentry. He's made 13 of 17 cuts since, though is seeking his first top 1o since the RBC Heritage in April..
On Thursday, he got things rolling with a near-perfect front nine, with birdies on the par-4 second, par-5 third, par-4 sixth, and par-4 ninth. He made birdie on the par-4 12th, as well. Kirk bogeyed No. 18 to hit the clubhouse at 6-under.
At time of writing, Taylor Pendrith (Kirk's playing partner) and Matthieu Pavon (-5) are tied for second.
Of course, as competitors do, Kirk spent a bulk of his postgame remarks lamenting his shortcomings.
“I would have loved to have gotten one on 16 and at least made a par on 18,” Kirk said. ‘That tee shot on 18 is so hard. I played with Pendy who that 315 cover on the left is no problem for him, but I don't have that. I can fly it 300, 305. I'm trying to fit a 3-wood in there on that right side and hit one five or eight yards right of where I was looking and got a firm kick to the right and ended up in a bad spot in that bunker, and it is what it is.”
Kirk wondered if the ace — while energizing — may have slightly disrupted his rhythm down the stretch.
“It can be a little bit difficult sometimes. After my little even-keeled boring golf that I was just cruising along and then you make a hole-in-one on a hole like that especially, it just kind of can be a little bit of a challenge to get back down to the ground and get back into your process.
“I did the best I could, and overall really solid day.”
Kirk and Pendrith are scheduled to begin their second round at 12:40 p.m. ET on Friday. The top-50 finishers in Memphis will advance to next week's BMW Championship.
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