Chris Kirk falls in love with golf again after The Sentry win

The American would card an eight-under 65 in the final round at Kapalua's Plantation Course, enough to take him to an incredible 29 under for the event. But with birdies dropping all around Kirk, it was just enough to edge a charging Sahith Theegala by one, while Jordan Spieth was another shot behind.

On another low-scoring day where a bogey would end your chances, Kirk kept his card clean. Under pressure, the 38-year-old needed to be brave with his second into the par four 17th. Through the gusts, his five-iron rolled to within two feet for a tap-in birdie, which was effectively the knockout blow with Theegala already in the clubhouse.

"I'm very proud, very, very proud of that shot, that I was able to make the right call," Kirk told pgapour.com.

"Talk about a tough shot to commit to. When you're about to pull 7 and you end up hitting 5, that doesn't happen ever. That never happens. So to be able to commit to it like I did and make that good of a swing was an incredible feeling."

The victory, Kirk's sixth on the Tour, further cements his comeback story. In 2019, Kirk left golf altogether for several months to deal with alcohol and depression issues. He won the Honda Classic in 2023 and Sunday's win amongst a high-class field proved that he's a top contender.

"I lost the joy of most things in life for a while there," admitted Kirk after the round,

"But, yeah, it's certainly back. I think I just love how hard this is. Like, it's so hard to be great at this, and I love the process that it takes. I love the work that it takes to try to be the best version of myself.

"I definitely have fallen back in love with that process. Sometimes you get rewarded for it, like today, and sometimes you don't. That's just part of the deal. I think to be successful and to really enjoy your life as a PGA Tour player you've got to love the work."

READ MORE: Patrick Cantlay admits golf fans are the real losers as PGA-LIV saga drags on