Chris Kirk and his partner, Michael Cromie, at the BMW Championship last week.
getty photos
If the ease with which the game comes to the world's best golfers makes you jealous and maybe even resentful, this would be a good time to click out of this story.
That's because six-time PGA Tour winner Chris Kirk is better than most golfers who not only play from the right (his dominant side) but also from the left. Kirk started playing lefty when he was young. For one week in the middle of winter, he and his golfing buddies played only on the left, throwing a few bucks into the results to keep things interesting.
“We were all devastated,” Kirk said earlier this year. “It was just a lot of talking bad to each other and having fun taking it out.
But a funny thing happened as Kirk continued to play lefty: He became very good. A few weeks ago, in fact, Kirk said he posted a southpaw 84, two strokes too low. He's on a mission to break 80.
“It's a lot of fun,” said Kirk earlier this week playing lefty; he was speaking at the Tour Championship, where he made his first appearance since 2014. “But obviously I have a bigger advantage than the average golfer who is just starting out. I already know all the answers to the test. It's just how long it takes me to figure out how to do it.”
Playing lefty is more than just a lark for Kirk, though. He said he played a lot on that side at his hometown club in Georgia, the Athens Country Club, and even asked his fellow members about establishing a “left handicap,” with the goal of playing at club events “as a team.” the school on the left.” Kirk estimated he's “about 10 to 12 right now,” adding, “I'm not sure how that actually works with the rules.”
We weren't there either. So we checked out the whizzes at the USGA's handicapping department, who responded with sad news as described in Section 6 of the Handicap Rules under Rule 1 Local Guidance:
Handicap Index Based on Strong Hand
The player must establish a Handicap Index that plays on the player's preferred playing side, known as the upper hand. For example, if the Handicap Index is established playing left-handed, the player must continue to play left-handed and post all acceptable scores.
A player may not have a Handicap Index while playing left or right at the same time. The basic premise of the Handicap Rules is that the player tries to make his best score and post all acceptable scores. This includes choosing the best play for each stroke, so unless the ball is placed in a position that requires a deviation from the leading side of the game, the player must try to make the best shot for each stroke using the leading side of the game.
If a player is forced to stop playing in the dominant hand in which the Handicap Index was established due to injury or changes the dominant hand when studying the game, and starts playing on the other side, the original Handicap Index must be archived, and a new score record must be established. The Handicap Committee should work with the AGA to remove the original Handicap Index and scoring record for further access.
Briefly? Yes, bad news for Kirk. Golfers can maintain one and only one handicap with the scores from the rounds they played with their dominant hand.
Still, Kirk can and should look on the bright side: Playing as a lefty, he can still beat most golfers. No strokes required.
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