Chris Kirk wins The King & Bear Classic at World Golf Village

ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida – Chris Kirk completed a major comeback Saturday at the Korn Ferry Tour’s King & Bear Classic at World Golf Village.

Sure, he started the day four shots behind the 54-hole leader and birdied the 18th hole to win by one. But this time last year, Kirk was in the middle of an indefinite leave of absence from the PGA TOUR. He ultimately took six months off as he worked through his alcohol abuse and depression, and now he’s back in the winner’s circle for the first time since 2015.

“It gives me a deeper sense of appreciation and gratitude for everything. I’m a completely different person than I was two years ago,” Kirk said. “I can’t wait to get home tonight and give my wife and three boys a hug and that’s what I care more about now. It’s amazing seeing the complete shift in my mentality as far as that’s concerned.”

Though he was bogey-free and 21-under through three rounds, Kirk trailed Vince India by four at the start of the day. However, India’s lead was gone in a matter of just seven holes, as the 54-hole leader started the day 2-over while Kirk was 4-under through seven.

“It was definitely a day that didn’t play out like I had envisioned,” Kirk said. “With Vince (India) playing so well, I thought I’d need to be 30-under to have a chance.”

A three-putt double bogey on No. 10 “shocked the system” and knocked Kirk back into a tie for the lead, but he regained the edge with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15. A short birdie putt on the par-5 18th solidified his final-round 67 and 26-under total.

Since returning to competition at the 2019 Mayakoba Golf Classic, Kirk has missed the cut in five of his seven starts on TOUR. He finished T60 last week at the Charles Schwab Challenge, site of his last PGA TOUR win five years ago, and he traveled to St. Augustine for his first start on the Korn Ferry Tour since he won twice during the 2010 season.

“I noticed at Colonial, playing a golf course where I won before and my favorite golf course on Tour, just walking around the putting green I didn’t feel like I was one of the best players there,” Kirk said. “I’m hoping that some of the shots I hit down the stretch today will give me a bit more of that (belief in myself) when I return to the PGA TOUR because I know my good is plenty good enough. It’s just a matter of seeing and feeling it and having some momentum carrying over.”

A day after India matched the course record with a 10-under 62, he was unable to record any birdies and shot a 4-over 76 to fall into an eight-way tie for sixth. Despite the disappointing finish, it was his second straight top-10 and he has improved from 134th to 38th in the standings the last two weeks.

Playing alongside Kirk and India was Will Zalatoris, who was in the final round’s last tee time for the second week in a row. After closing with a 1-over 71 and finishing T6 last week, Zalatoris shot 4-under 68 Saturday and finished T3, tied for his best finish on Tour. Overall, it was his fourth top-10 in seven starts this season.

Playing six groups ahead of Kirk, Joseph Bramlett closed his round with the shot of the tournament, as he holed a 6-iron for double eagle on the par-5 18th, briefly giving him a share of the lead at 23-under. He went on to finish three shots back and in a tie for third, a week after he finished T2 at the Korn Ferry Challenge at TPC Sawgrass.

Justin Lower also made a late charge and birdied the last three holes to complete a 6-under 66, giving him a share of the lead at 25-under. Unfortunately for Lower, Kirk could win with a birdie on the par-5 18th, a hole that played to a 4.241 average and didn’t give up a single bogey the entire day. Kirk capitalized, as he got up-and-down for birdie and completed his comeback.

Next week, the Korn Ferry Tour travels to Oakridge Country Club in Farmington, Utah, for the Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank.