Chris Kirk's bag plays Deutsche Bank Championship pro-am – without him

NORTON, Mass. – John Merrick has never experienced a pro-am moment quite like the Deutsche Bank Championship last week. 

Neither has Chris Kirk, who can laugh about it now. 

Kirk didn't get in the pro-am at the TPC Boston, so he went to the range for a few hours and was gone by mid-morning. He was done for the day. His clubs were not. 

Turns out an amateur in the afternoon needed rental clubs and was sent to the clubhouse. He went to the locker room instead, and next to his temporary locker – right below Kirk's – was a Callaway staff bag with a full set of clubs, balls, gloves and even a pair of shoes. The words "Chris Kirk" apparently meant nothing to him. He grabbed the bag and headed out to play. 

His pro in the group was Merrick, who found it odd that an amateur would have a staff bag belonging to Kirk. 

"It takes a hole or two to get your bearings, get the names right," Merrick said. "I noticed the Chris Kirk bag. I was thinking he got it an auction or something. Guys get new bags all the time. I didn't think anything of it. But he hits this drive on No. 2 and popped it up into the trees on the right. He turned the club over and goes, `This rental set has a driver that says `prototype.' And I'm thinking, `Prototype for a rental set? There's no way.' 

"I asked him where he got the bag and he said, `It was next to my locker so I grabbed it.'" 

Merrick immediately sent a text message to a PGA Tour official that said, "You better get a rental set and size 11 shoes out here now." 

That's right – shoes. 

Kirk, meanwhile, was back at his hotel when he received a call from the tour and headed back to the golf course. 

"It was a bizarre situation, to say the least," Kirk said. "At first, I didn't think it was funny. But I got away unscathed. I lost a glove and a sleeve of balls. The shoes kind of gross me out. It's the only pair of shoes I have with me, so I have to wear them. 

"I feel violated a little bit," he said with a smile, "but I'll be all right." 

Merrick took a picture on his phone of the amateur carrying Kirk's bag and wearing the shoes. He kept in touch with Kirk to keep his mind at ease. 

"He was texting me as we were making the turn," Merrick said. "He was like, `Get that guy out of my shoes.' I said, `Chris, it was only two holes.'" 

There was one other twist. Before picking up the bag in the locker room, the amateur decided he didn't like the driver and one of the hybrids, so he replaced them with some clubs he saw leaning against the locker. 

"I guess he didn't like the look of my driver, so he took the backup," Kirk said. "Definitely a crazy situation."