How About a Feature Story on Kevin Hall

Deaf golfer can't wait to make PGA Tour debut at Brown Deer
Vic Feuerherd - Wisconsin State Journal
July 21, 2005 MILWAUKEE - Like any golfer just starting out on his professional career, Kevin Hall tees it up with a dream in mind.

That will be the case this afternoon at 1:30 when he makes his PGA Tour debut at the U.S. Bank Championship at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.

"Everyone daydreams," he said when asked about the possibility of winning.

"But I have to keep telling myself, 'Stay in the present. Keep it one stroke at a time.'"

But how Hall said it is different.

His fingers moved at a rapid pace, outlining either every letter or every word for translator Tracey Weigel, who put Hall's thoughts into words for reporters in the media tent.

Hall, 22, is deaf. He is here on a sponsor's exemption. But Hall is not just a tournament sideshow. He was an accomplished golfer at Ohio State, where he earned All-Big Ten Conference honors as a senior in 2004. He's played in three Nationwide events, the minor leagues of the PGA.

By his own admission, he is a "feel-good story." People see him, he said, and they find it "inspiring."

Hall went profoundly deaf at the age of 2 after getting H-flu meningitis. He began golfing at 9 when a family friend introduced him to the game. He became a highly decorated junior and prep golfer in his hometown of Cincinnati. He eventually became the captain of the Buckeyes team.

Hall said going to Ohio State was a big change from his days at a school for the deaf.

"My college experience broadened my horizons," he said. "I can see the world from a different angle. It helped me (learn) to communicate with people, meet new people. It helped me to see the world."

Now he's trying to fulfill his goal of making it on the Tour.

"I'm ready," he said. "I just have to believe in myself."

Hall received the exemption at the urging of U.S. Bank officials, who were familiar with his game from his days in Columbus, where U.S Bank is located.

"I was walking on air," he said of the beeper message he received from his father recently notifying him of his spot in the field. "It's a wonderful opportunity."

Hall admits there are advantages to being deaf on the course.

"I can't hear the distractions," he said. "But I still struggle with the mental game like any other golfer."

The disadvantages are different, too. Hall, who reads lips, recalled a tournament in Texas when he didn't understand an official's comment and ended up being penalized for breaking a lift, clean and place ruling.

Hall was accompanied by his father, Percy. His mother is coming for the start of the tournament today.

"If I make the cut - when I make the cut - more people will come," he said.

Hall admitted golf is not a popular game in the deaf community. Hall takes pride in his deafness. He is an African-American, which also makes him stand out in a game dominated by hearing whites.

"I represent the deaf community at home and all over the U.S.," he said. "If people identify me as a deaf golfer, that brings attention to the deaf community. Those people look up to me. They look up to me as motivation for their lives.

"If my identification is as a deaf golfer, that's fine. That's what I am now. Eventually, people are going to know me as Kevin."

Hall's expectations are simple.

"If I finish the tournament feeling good, that's success," he said. "I'll give it my best and that will be a successful week for me."