Chris Kirk sealed victory in the first PGA TOUR event of 2024 with a one-shot triumph in a closely-contested Sentry tournament in Hawaii.
The 38-year-old American entered the final round at the Plantation Course in Kapalua with a one-shot advantage and sunk six birdies in his first 11 holes to stay at the top of the leaderboard.
Compatriot Sahith Theegala began to put pressure on Kirk on the back nine, as he went onto tied with him for the lead going into the par-four 17th. But a sublime birdie helped Kirk on his way to his sixth PGA TOUR triumph and his first since the 2023 Honda Classic. He finished the Sentry on 29 under, a shot ahead of Theegala.
“It [winning] is so unreal,” Kirk said. “It’s just so unexpected. I had a really great off-season and I got a lot of good work done and felt good about the year, but you never really expect to go shoot 29-under. Yeah, it’s unbelievable.”
Speaking about his performanceon the 17th, Kirk said: I’m very proud. Very, very proud of that shot, that I was able to make the right call – talk about a tough shot to commit to.”
Three-time major winner Jordan Speith finished thrid after hitting an eight under 65 while South Korea’s An Byeong-Hun finished fourth.
The next event on the PGA TOUR is the Sony Open taking place between 11-14 January at the Waiʻalae Country Club in Hawaii.