After opening the season with a big win at Sentry, Chris Kirk struggled to settle down in the evening.
And who can blame him? Kirk won $3.6 million and earned 700 FedEx Cup points while competing against the best players in the world on Maui.
No wonder why he couldn't sleep.
“It's hard to calm down a little bit,” Kirk said after the opening round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
“I couldn't sleep for a few nights, but thankfully I was able to take a nap. I slept well. [Wednesday] night. I really try not to try too hard. I had a few good workouts in the gym on Monday and Tuesday and felt like I was flushing out my body and getting my blood flowing. ”
Fortunately for Kirk, he finally calmed down on Wednesday and slept well the night before the Sony Open. That definitely helped him shoot a 4-under 66 on Thursday, putting him four shots behind Cam Davis.
There were only five players between Kirk and Davis, but they shot an impressive 8-under 62 in the stormy weather.
“Very solid. I hit a great ball today in tough conditions,” Kirk said of the opener.
“It's been years since we've played in winds like this here. It's been years since we've played in this wind direction. My memory is that when it blows from the west like this, it's relatively light. So on some of those holes, some of the par 4s, I'm used to hitting the driver and wedge. [instead] This is a drive from the middle to the long iron. ”
Kirk is no stranger to Honolulu's Waialae Country Club, having competed in the Sony Open in Hawaii every year since 2011.
Last year, he placed third on his own, and tied for second in 2021. He also recorded back-to-back top-five finishes in 2013 and 2014.
“I don't really care if it blows here or if we play a little tougher,” Kirk added. “We've had good results here in a variety of conditions.”
Winds are expected to pick up again on Friday, with gusts of up to 40km/h expected.
But just as the lack of sleep earlier in the week didn't bother Kirk, it probably won't bother him either.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
