BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

August 18, 2023

Chris Kirk

Olympia Fields Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Talk about how hard it is to adjust your putting speed; how hard is that to do within a round?

CHRIS KIRK: It shouldn't be that hard. I'm a professional golfer.

But yeah, it's not the easiest thing in the world. Some days it just feels very natural. You don't even have to think about how hard you're hitting your putts, uphill, downhill, you just kind of dial it in.

Today was one of those days where it just was -- it wasn't like -- I mean, I don't think I three-putted any, but it just was not quite there.

With greens that have a lot of slope on them like these do, obviously matching that line and speed is tough.

Q. You had a pair of 66s; you can't be too displeased with that.

CHRIS KIRK: No, I'm not. Not disappointed at all.

Q. What has been working so well for you the first two rounds do you think?

CHRIS KIRK: I've played well all around. I hit my irons really fantastic today. Today was one of those days where I shot 4-under, but it certainly could have been lower than that with all the birdie looks that I had.

But I certainly would have taken it at the start of the day. I'd gladly take two more of them.

Q. How confident are you in your game headed into the weekend now?

CHRIS KIRK: It feels better. It's been interesting the last few months, I haven't played particularly well and have been working really hard on my game with my swing coach Scott Hamilton, and Ramon, my putting coach. We've been going at it and just kind of felt like I've been beating my head against the wall a little bit.

But thankfully all of a sudden last week in Memphis after the first round felt like more of the same and kind of started to gain a little bit of momentum, played well the last three days, and the changes or tweaks that I've made in my golf swing are finally starting to get comfortable.

Q. You said beating your head against the wall. Was there a low point or round or tournament that you were particularly frustrated with how it went?

CHRIS KIRK: I mean, I would never say I really got that down about it, but yeah, it's hard. Greensboro was tough. I don't know what I shot. I shot a million over par there and just didn't feel like I could do anything right. Wasn't hitting any fairways and wasn't hitting my irons great and couldn't make a putt. That's just the way it goes sometimes.

But yeah, came to Memphis and started to hit it a little bit better. Putted terrible the first two days. Hit it great the second day, still shot 3-under just by putting awful, and said screw it, changed putters after the first two rounds last week. Just kind of figured I couldn't do any worse.

I've continued to work on my stroke, work on my reads, all the things that I'm doing, and I've gotten a little more comfortable.

Q. The putter change was from what to what?

CHRIS KIRK: Odyssey No. 5 to an Odyssey Versa No. 7. Same weight, same length, same loft, same lie, so nothing changing in that regard, just a little something different to look at.

Q. Do you tweak anything in your stroke or setup putting-wise?

CHRIS KIRK: Just working on the same things as always, but yeah, just something different in my hands.

Q. Did the good feelings from Honda linger for a while, and were you -- at any times when things aren't going so well, do you ever think back to that and how big that was and how important that was for you?

CHRIS KIRK: It doesn't linger that long, unfortunately. It certainly makes it where the little bad stretches are a little bit more bearable because it's not like you're grinding to try to make the first playoff event or grinding to try to keep your card. That is a lot more pressure and a lot more frustrating than where I was after not playing great for a few weeks.

Yeah, it's nice looking back on those things, but sometimes in your game you can be two weeks separated from winning a tournament, and it feels like a distant memory. You just never know.

Q. You obviously had one of the good stories of the year out here, and it wasn't at a designated event. It was a regular event. Just curious how you feel about the change where we're going to a lot of those, and yet what you did occurred away from that spotlight.

CHRIS KIRK: Yeah, I think they're doing a good job next year of not having too many of the Signature Events. There's going to be a handful, and those are going to be huge tournaments and they're going to be really big.

But it certainly leaves room in the schedule for -- I've kind of glanced through my schedule. I'll be playing all the Signature Events but I'll be playing a lot of other regular events, too, and I think a lot of the top players in the world will also be able to play a good many handful of other ones.

Then you also look at just how deep the PGA TOUR is, how many great players there are out here. The guy that finishes 150th on the FedEx list every year is an absolute world-class player and an unbelievable golfer. There's always stories and there's always people to pull for.

Q. Is it actually true that you skipped a designated event in order to play Honda?

CHRIS KIRK: I did, yes. I typically don't play Riviera. I've played it maybe twice in my career. Just not a course that I was really comfortable on, and was planning on going back and giving it a try this year with it being a designated event.

It's a golf course that I love. I'd put it in my top 10 favorite courses I've ever played, Riviera. Just the last few times there I've shot a lot of 73s and 74s which doesn't do you much good.

I missed the cut in Phoenix, and after that I was just like, I'm going to go home, I'm going to play Honda, Bay Hill, PLAYERS, like I normally do, so yes, I made that kind of late change, and yeah, worked out all right.

Q. Why didn't that win linger for you? You hadn't won in a while, like you said, and it was a pretty big deal.

CHRIS KIRK: I mean, I think mentally it does and you feel good about what you're doing, but golf is such a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately kind of sport. I played there and I played Bay Hill, then I missed the cut at THE PLAYERS, and I got home and my wife and everybody wanted to celebrate, and I was kind of pissed that I missed the cut at THE PLAYERS.

That's just how we're wired, I think.

Q. There's been a couple guys from the southeast who have done quite well lately. I think you're familiar with Lucas and you guys are good friends and Brian Harman, another Sea Island guy. How much does it help you to see guys that you come into contact with again and again that are friends of yours, does that put a little bit of wind in your sails? Can you draft off that a little bit?

CHRIS KIRK: Maybe a little bit. Really I'm just very, very happy for Brian and for Lucas, two guys that I've been friends with for a very long time. I don't really -- I guess I don't really think about it much beyond that. I'm just happy to see them play well.

Q. How are you a different player now than in 2014 when you were right up there for the FedExCup?

CHRIS KIRK: I weigh about 20 pounds more, I think.

Yeah, I think that my golf swing has evolved and continued to get better and better as the years have gone on. It's wild for me looking back at some videos from 2013, 2014. I hate the way my swing looked then. I feel like it's much more efficient now.

But at the same time, I'm a lot older. I may not have quite the endurance that I had, even though I'm probably in better shape physically now, but 10 years older certainly takes a little bit of a toll.

For me now, I think it's just kind of trying to be as efficient as possible. I think that was something I was very good at when I was young, early in my career, is kind of turning it into the best score.

I have times when I feel like I do a great job of that now and times where I don't.

Q. Today you did that pretty well?

CHRIS KIRK: Today was all right, yeah. The last few days, the game has felt solid.