Deaf Niche Kevin Hall is confident about his first time in a PGA tour at the Genesis Open in Pacific Palisades, California. When asked why, he says it’s because no matter what happens he’s very happy to have made it this far.
Hall became deaf at 2 years old and started learning golf at 9 years old. He fell in love with it and kept playing. A few years later, he met Tiger Woods. Hall showed Woods his skill and Woods gave him a tip about how to drive the ball further and along with the tip. Hall never forgot Tiger Woods’ advice and kept practicing.
All the practice paid off because Hall went professional and won a spot in this year’s PGA Tour at the Genesis Open.
Hall is the recipient of this year’s annual award for the most outstanding minority in the PGA–the Charlie Sifford Award. Charlie Sifford was the first black man ever to play in the PGA and won the Open in 1969. The Charlie Sifford Award has since then been given in his honor to an exceptional minority in golf.
The PGA Genesis Open starts February 16 and finishes on February 19 of 2017. The Open can be viewed on ESPN’s Golf channel.
Here’s an interview with Hall from 2011 about his dream to enter the PGA. Congrats, Kevin Hall!
I have been assigned with a thesis on “Deaf Sportsmen” and I couldn’t find many while exploring libraries and internet. Your blog provided me some valuable stuff. Can you please suggest me some other resources relevant to this particular niche.
Kevin Hall is a role model for deaf sportsmen who are planning to take up sports as their profession. Though, it is not at all smooth run for deaf people but if they want to be successful, follow Kevin as their role model to keep themselves charged and motivated.
Good development. They are all humans and should be engaged in one thing or the order to give their lives meaning. Congrats to the receiver of the award.