The 73rd Hole: Chris Kirk wins The Sentry, Rory McIlroy full circle on LIV Golf, more golf news

Welcome to The 73rd Hole. We're off the course and this will be a weekly look around the world of golf, be that on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LIV Golf, LPGA Tour, or wherever else they're teeing it up. Oftentimes, we'll be taking a look back at the week that was and a brief look at what's to come. But more importantly, we'll be taking a look at what golf fans need to know.

First, our old friend Rory McIlroy, who didn't tee it up at Kapalua, got the year started off with quite a bang.

Rory McIlroy admits LIV Golf has brought about change

Few figures in golf have been as vocally against LIV Golf since the defections initially began than Rory McIlroy. He was a staunch advocate for the PGA Tour, almost to the point that he was a sacrificial lamb. That was further solidifed when commissioner Jay Monahan announced a deal with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) to create an influx of money into the Tour, something Monahan and, by proxy, McIlroy had expressed previous disdain for.

Thus, LIV Golf supporters were teed up to call McIlroy a hypocrite, as were LIV Golf members as well. Moreover, it put the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world in, overall a bad light. But now as the new PGA Tour season is set to begin and with McIlroy having remained largely quiet on the matter for months, it seems as if the four-time major champion is changing his tune.

Appearing on the "Stick to Football" podcast, McIlroy expressed apparent regret about his criticism of players who departed the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, calling himself "judgmental".

"I think, at this point, I was maybe a little judgmental of the guys who went to LIV Golf at the start, and I think it was a bit of a mistake on my part because I now realize that not everyone is in my position or in Tiger Woods' position," McIlroy said (h/t ESPN).

While some would assert that LIV has won, at least in a personal battle with Rory, he doesn't see it that way. However, it also seems like a fight he's no longer willing to participate in.

"I wouldn't say I've lost the fight against LIV, but I've just accepted the fact that this is part of our sport now," McIlroy said. "Competition is good to help improve the sport of golf overall, but the PGA Tour competing with LIV and the Saudis' money is completely unsustainable.

"You're never going to win a fight if you're going money for money, because we've seen that in other sports where no one is spending money like the Saudis."

And if you're wondering why that's the case, Rory asserted that the PGA Tour is lucky to have survived amid a myriad of shortcomings as a league and product, which LIV Golf has helped bring to the forefront.

"I think what LIV has done, it’s exposed the flaws in the system of what golf has, because we’re all supposed to be independent contractors and we can pick and choose what tournaments we want to play," McIlroy said. "But I think what LIV and the Saudis have exposed is that you’re asking for millions of dollars to sponsor these events, and you’re not able to guarantee to the sponsors that the players are going to show up. I can’t believe the PGA Tour has done so well for so long."

You can watch the full interview with McIlroy here:

That's quite a departure from McIlroy's tone of recent years. At the same time, though, it's not surprising. Just based on human nature, it would be impossible for him to not take a step back after a pseudo-betrayal from Monahan that hung him out to dry and see the picture more clearly. It seems he's doing that, and one has to wonder if we'll see that reflected on the course in the 2024 season, particularly as he aims to win his first major championship in a decade.

Chris Kirk wins The Sentry amid loaded field

Was The Sentry going to be the true Ludvig Åberg coming-out party? Were we going to see Scottie Scheffler or Collin Morikawa begin another run of domincance with a win at Kapalua? As it turns out, what we got was Chris Kirk coming out on top for his second win in the last year (Kirk was victorious at The Honda Classic in February of last year).

Kirk played masterfully throughout the week with a four rounds that were the picture of consistency. He finished sixth in the field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, but also gained 0.90 strokes on the greens, per Datagolf. That'll get it done.

One of the prevailing narratives around Kirk winning, however, was how much he's overcome after his struggles with alcohol and depression. Without question, he deserves more merit than anything for coming out of his absence from the PGA Tour in 2019 to get back to being a winner on Tour. But at the same time, can we not make that the main thing?

Chris Kirk is damn good at the game of golf. Winning at The Sentry in that field and on a course that demands a unique test is not an easy feat. This comes after he finished 32nd in the final FedEx Cup standings, just two spots away from the TOUR Championship. He's back at being one of the top players on the PGA Tour.

What Kirk has overcome deserves applause, but Kirk also deserves for his game to be recognized on its own merit, not always coming with a caveat.

Tiger Woods ends partnership with Nike, leaves future in question

Tiger Woods and Nike are virtually synonymous in the game of golf. It feels ultimately fair to say that the likes of Rory, Brooks Koepka, Tommy Fleetwood, Tony Finau, Scottie Scheffler and many others wouldn't have deals with Nike as one of the most recognizable golf apparel brands if not for the nearly three decades that Tiger has been with them.

But now that era is over. On Monday, Woods announced on X/Twitter what had been rumored for several weeks prior, that his partnership with Nike has concluded.

Social media had fun with what that "next chapter" for Tiger could be, perhaps the funniest of which was someone pasting Costco's Kirkland Signature logo on the iconic Sunday red shirt for Woods. But as for concrete measures where Woods' apparel will go next, we don't know. The likeliest option would probably be him starting his own company, but again, it's impossible to say that with certainty.

When we look back on the great moments that Tiger Woods has given the game of golf, though, the Nike logos on his shirt and hat will be etched in our golf fan memories. And perhaps Nike said it best with their message to Woods at the end of this partnership.

One hell of a round, indeed.