|
|
|
Home >
Best of Golf >
Personalities >
Kevin Hall
|
|
© Getty Images
|
Sports helped hearing-impaired Kevin Hall overcome adversity at a young age
|
By
Josh Karp
Kevin Hall knows that he’s a walking human interest story.
“I’m deaf and I’m
black,” Hall says, “I’m used to it.”
Hall usually communicates through a sign
language interpreter, but he can speak, although understanding what he’s saying
requires some familiarity with his voice.
Hall lost his hearing at age 2
during a nearly fatal bout of meningitis, and his parents, Jackie and Percy,
helped him adapt to and succeed in a hearing world. They learned to finger
spell, taught Kevin to read and encouraged him to take part in sports. Growing
up in Cincinnati, he became a nationally ranked junior bowler and Little League
standout.
When Hall was nine, a family friend took him to the driving range.
His first swing was nearly perfect, with a natural draw. Seven years later Tiger
Woods saw that swing at a clinic and said something Hall had no trouble lip
reading: “See you on the tour some day.”
The 25-year-old Hall and Woods have
kept in touch, and they played a casual round together at Isleworth in
February. Hall knows that while he will receive attention should he become the
first deaf golfer on tour, his disability will not help him make cuts.
In
fact, it’s easy to forget Hall is deaf, considering how much he is able to
express. Between bites following a round at the Nationwide Tour’s LaSalle Bank
Open Pro-Am, Hall recounts the season finale of House and kids an amateur
partner who calls out, “This guy never stops talking!”
Says Percy:
“Communication never seems to be much of a problem.”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
Columns:
Open to the Public
|
 By
Ernie Els
The two-time U.S. Open winner applauds the USGA’s recent decisions to play the national championship on municipal courses
read more » |
Columns:
Head, Heart, Hands, Health
|
 By
George Peper
To understand why Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer ever, it doesn’t take much more than looking at the foundations of a long-running youth organization
read more » |
|
|
|
|
home |
site map |
subscribe to LINKS Magazine |
subscription changes |
feedback |
contact us |
advertising information |
order back issues |
get FREE information |
links e-newsletter registration |
links partners |
privacy policy |
terms and conditions
|
