Chris Kirk is rusty but ready to defend title - Boston Globe
Chris Kirk wasn’t planning on defending his title at the Deutsche Bank Championship this way, with only two rounds of golf played on the PGA Tour since June 22. But a freak accident left Kirk with a broken hand, which required a splint and kept... Now he’s healthy enough to play — Kirk made his return last week at the Barclays — and is looking forward to shaking off some of the rust that built up over a nine-week forced layoff. “I probably haven’t had nine weeks off in the middle of the summer since I was maybe 10 years old,” said Kirk. Kirk was injured while chasing his boys (Sawyer is 3, Foster is 21 months) around the yard at their home in Athens, Ga. He slipped and stuck his right hand out to break the fall, which broke a small bone. Instead of playing a full summer schedule, Kirk’s season was suddenly put on hold. While the extra family time was nice, the work year had been a good one, with Kirk winning on tour for the fourth time in his career, in May at Colonial. Kirk’s kids figured prominently that week, too: After Dad opened with a frustrating 73 at TPC Boston, Kirk and Sawyer headed to the tournament’s Kids Zone for a little mini-golf. He missed the cut at the Barclays, shooting 76-68. There is plenty on the line: Kirk is 39th on the tour’s points list despite the layoff, and is trying to hold on to an automatic spot for the Presidents Cup. Source: www.bostonglobe.com
