Kirby's Game Reaching New Heights
By Joe McDonald
RIGA Senior Writer
Ed Kirby is making history. He’s also forgetting about the past all at the same time. Somewhere in the middle, he’s found his game, while enjoying tremendous success this season.
As the 61-year-old prepares for the Senior PGA Professional Championship Sept. 26-29 at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon, the pro out of The Aquidneck Club is playing the best golf of his career. He recently won the 104th New England PGA Section Championship at Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead, Mass., the NEPGA Section Senior Championship at George Wright Golf Course in Hyde Park, Mass., and also the NEPGA Chapter Championship at Point Judith Country Club.
“Pretty cool to have all three,” he said. “It’ll probably never happen again and that’s ok. I’m not thinking I’m a (Champions) Tour player because I’m not, but at times, I’m pretty good. I’m not bad and I’m sleeping a lot better.”
When he was younger, Kirby was among the elite golfers from Rhode Island, joining the likes of Brad Faxon, Billy Andrade, Brett Quigley and P.H. Horgan. For years, Kirby felt the pressure to compete and compare himself with all his contemporaries from the Ocean State. He said he always “beat himself up” until he realized he had to be his own golfer.
“I always felt like I was below them and didn’t achieve, but I’ve completely changed that thought in my mind,” he said.
That honest mindset is working. He no longer feels in the shadows of others.
Kirby loves the game. As the director of instruction and club ambassador at The Aquidneck Club, he’s able to work on his game whenever he wants, which is pretty much every day. He’s also the men’s golf coach at Roger Williams University.
“It’s just been fun,” he said. “Playing golf now I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I don’t feel the pressure of having to do anything, it’s more about wanting to do it.”
Kirby had been a dominant force on the New England PGA tour for nearly a decade, until injuries derailed his game. He was forced to have cervical disk replacement surgery Nov. 2, 2021. The procedure involves removing a diseased disk and replacing it with an artificial disk.
“My game went completely south,” he said. “I couldn’t swing and was in tremendous pain. I thought my playing days were over because it was very difficult to swing a golf club.”
Kirby’s life and career became rejuvenated when he met Dr. Dominic Kleinhenz, of University Orthopedics. Kleinhenz, who specializes in a wide range of spinal conditions, identified Kirby’s issue and recommended the surgery. Everything changed after the procedure and he eventually regained his strength and mobility.
“I was able to turn more on the ball and hit the ball back to the distance I was accustomed to hitting it for years,” he said. “People talk about getting older, you can’t swing and you lose distance, but I’m not a big believer in that.”
His “Aha!” moment occurred during a practice round for the Senior PGA in May. Kirby was scheduled to play only nine holes with Frank Esposito when two-time Masters champion arrived on the tee and asked to join the group. They decided to play 18 holes and Kirby was thrilled with that decision.
“During the round I realized I was going shot for shot with (Langer),” Kirby said.
He didn’t play well during the tournament and missed the cut, but Kirby felt good about his game. He attempted to qualify for the U.S. Senior Open, which was played at Newport Country Club this summer, but Kirby missed the cut by one stroke. It would have been a thrill for him to play in the championship alongside Andrade and Quigley, but Kirby remained confident with his game.
“When I get on the golf course it’s like this peace comes over me and I think, ‘Let’s have fun today. Let’s see how many birdies we can make.’ It’s amazing and I have no angst. If I make a bad swing, I think, ‘Ok, don’t do that again.’ Back in the day I would beat myself up.”
Case in point: The first day of the Section Championship, Kirby 3-putted the first hole and was able to erase it from his mind.
“I turned it around and hit 18 greens in the final round in regulation, which is unheard of, and the belief in my head is the ball doesn’t know how old I am, the golf course doesn’t know how old I am and Bernard Langer is living proof you can play at a high level as you get older.”
Kirby doesn’t feel “too old” these days. In fact, this is the best he has felt in a long time, which is perfect timing for the Senior PGA Professional Championship in Oregon.
“I’m going to run with this as long as I can, continue to work at my game and enjoy it,” he said.
Kirby admitted one of the coolest things about his accomplishments this season is all the calls, texts and emails he’s receiving from friends and colleagues he hasn’t heard from in a while.
“To reconnect with all the people I haven’t connected with for 10, 15, 20 years is cool. It’s fun and I’m humbled by it,” he said. “This game can be torturous and not often does it get to a point where you can say, ‘I’m going to play well today’ and step up to the tee, knowing you’re going to play well. I’m in a good place and I’m very blessed, very fortunate and hopefully I can finish the season off strong. It’s the best season I have ever had without a doubt.”