Interview with Kevin Hall

Alex: Hello! Can you introduce your name and tell us where you’re from?

Kevin: Hello! My name is Kevin Hall. I’m from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Alex: Last weeked you played in the AT&T Pro-Am golf tournament on Pebble Beach.

[Video clip of a Twitter post by PGA Tour, @PGATOUR, with a video of Kevin Hall taking a high and far shot. The golf ball lands only perhaps two feet from the cup. A text box on the top in the video reads “APEX: 89 feet” and the lower right corner reads “Ball speed: 118”. The caption says “Shot of the day from @KevinMHallOSU. Puts it to 3 feet on 17. Clap hands emoji.”]

Alex: It’s too bad you didn’t make the cut to the final two days! But how do you think you did last weekend?

Kevin: Well, considering that I had been off tournament golf for four months and just started last January, I thought that I did pretty good. As for the golf courses out there, Pebble and Spyglass, you have to know them. Many pros have played there for many years. That was my second time in… The last time I’ve been here was 2007, I think. So, it was a different kind of golf with all the hills, wind, and I mean… Just different kinds of golf! But I had a great time.

Alex: Jack Nicklaus did take a video of himself and send it to you.

[Clip of Kevin Hall smiling and laughing at a phone screen, and then a clip of Kevin Hall speaking with captions on the bottom. The captions read: “From one Buckeye to another, I understand that you’re gonna play at Pebble Beach this year. You got in out there. Well I want to just wish you good luck.”]

Alex: He did advise you about the slant of the green to the Pacific Ocean. Did his advice help you?

Kevin: Oh, his advice was very spot-on! I noticed that, like, with flags and the ocean over here, if I hit the ball over there it’ll roll down towards the ocean. When I passed, I had to be very defensive. If it was slanted downwards, I had to be careful with hitting the ball. I can’t be aggressive.

Alex: And it’s not just your skill of hitting the ball and club selections, but you also had to manage the course.

Kevin: When people watch it on TV, they wouldn’t realize it until they see the golf course in person. You have to see the slant and figure out how to do it downhill, or uphill, and figure it out with the wind, too. You have to see the different heights in the green and figure it out if it’s uphill, and with the wind, too. The green is not on a flat surface. I mean, hitting the ball isn’t the only skill. You have to know about the distance and how the wind will impact your balls.

[img 0119] Credit: Courtesy of Kevin Hall

[img 0132] Credit: Courtesy of Kevin Hall

[img 0202] Credit: Courtesy of Kevin Hall

Alex: I saw a video of you swinging in Jim Nantz’s backyard. It was a replica of one hole…

Kevin: Number seven!

Alex: Was it exactly the same number, seven?

-The exact same, yes!

Alex: And you were there!

-But shorter.

Alex: Shorter, got it. You got a hole in one!

[A Twitter video post from Kevin Hall, @KevinMHallOSU, with the caption reading “A cool video from earlier in the trip at Jim Nantz’s backyard. While we all followed Covid protocols of social distancing and everything, sometimes you gotta go nuts when something like this happens. Hope you enjoy this!”. The video shows Kevin Hall on a small golf course taking a swing on his golf club, and he gets a hole in one! He throws his hands up in excitement and other people cheer. Then Kevin Hall dances a celebratory dance!]

Alex: Can you explain that experience?

Kevin: Well, I went to his house for lunch after I played golf with him that day. Then he showed me his par 3 backyard, and he said that many guests went through his house trying to get a hole in one so they could get in the Rock of Fame. He said “I won’t let you leave until you get a hole in one.” Fine! It was hard and I kept missing, and I did maybe 20 or 25 balls. I said I’d do four more, then I’d leave. Fine, so he gave me four more balls. The first one touched the hole but missed, the second one was close, and the third one made it in! That’s the video!

Alex: Cool!

Kevin: Now my name is on his Rock of Fame!

Alex: It’s called the Rock of Fame?

Kevin: Yes, because it’s a rock with a plaque of names on it.

-Cool.

[IMG 0225] CREDIT: Courtesy of Kevin Hall

Alex: Now that you’ve played in a tournament on sponsorship exemption. Can you explain what that means?

Kevin: It means, like, every tournament - except for invitation-only - has four, five, or six spots that’s sponsored by the tournament. For example, if Genesis - you know the car company Genesis - sponsors that tournament, they reserve three or four people that they select. There’s a field for pro and qualified players, but four or five people can be added, whoever the sponsors choose. If they want, they can pick Michael Jordan to play there, or me, or anyone. They reserve the right to pick whoever they want, as a sponsored exemption.

Alex: You got that opportunity to AT&T. How did that sponsorship exemption happen for you? Can you explain?

Kevin: Really, a lot of things. I think - last November, I was on TV on the 2020 Masters.

[Clip of a post by CBS Sports with the caption “The 2020 Masters: For Kevin Hall, the silence of this year's Masters is nothing out of the ordinary…” with the rest of the caption not visible. Captions read: “Kevin: No matter what it sounds like, it’s a tradition unlike any other” with Kevin Hall appearing on screen in several different clips in varying angles. Kevin signs “Welcome to the Masters” and smiles. After that, there’s a slow clip of the sunset over a beautiful lake and golf course with the text “Masters” and an icon of the United States with a golf flag on it.]

Kevin: You know that last year, there were no spectators. That means the Masters would be spectator-less! So, Jim Nantz from CBS said since the Masters were going to be quiet with no spectators, why not have Kevin Hall there? Perfect, he can explain what it’s like to be deaf and play golf, and… You know? So, he contacted me, and I wanted to do it. Then, after that, a lot of people saw that and I had a lot of positive feelings. So I decided to write a letter to the tournament director. He said yes, and welcomed me. He gave me a chance. I’m very lucky and very blessed.

Alex: I read in a Golf Week article that you play in Advocates Pro Golf Association and won the championships three times. Can you explain what that is, Advocates PGA?

Kevin: APGA tries to support minority golfers and tries to support diversity in the game of golf. You know? It welcomes more to join. So that started, I think, ten years ago. It was small at first for three or four tournaments, and every year it grew more and more. There are now more members and more opportunities, and Tournament Player Champions use the golf course. And the PGA in America golf course is huge as well. Wow. That gives us the chance to play hard golf courses. So that prepares us for actually playing at the PGA.

Alex: Cool. You won that three times. You’re very well known and successful in APGA.

Kevin: In 2016, I think, I was Player of the Year.

Alex: Wow, nice. Congratulations!

Kevin: So, that year was a very cool year!

Alex: What’s the stressful part about it? You know, people may think it’s glamorous but I’m sure there’s another side to it. Can you share if you feel comfortable to share?

Kevin: I love playing golf. But traveling is very hard. Everywhere I go, there’s not many deaf people. It’s a little bit lonely. I always tell people, after I finish playing golf, I go straight to the hotel. Then I go play golf, and then go back to the hotel. Sometimes I want to play golf, then hang out with the deaf community and have more interaction with them. That makes things go smooth, because I’m the only deaf pro who travels. It’s not easy, but it’s my choice, my decision.

Alex: I’ve seen in many videos that your father seems to always be there with you. Do you travel a lot with your father? I’m curious about your relationship with him and golf.

Image of Kevin and Percy Hall

Kevin: My dad’s been with me for many tournaments. He retired from work during, I think, my second year of college, and he decided that when he retired he’d follow me and make sure I’m ok, and make sure I’m doing well. We have a great relationship. Then my mom retired a few years later, and joined us.

-Cool.

You know, I talk about being lonely. My mom and dad try to make sure I’m not too lonely, you know? They’re a great support system. Very lucky, very blessed.

Alex: Yeah. Nice. I think that’s all. Do you want to add anything?

Kevin: I think that… I wish everyone could experience the same feelings I experience. I think that I hope I give people the confidence to - if you have a dream, go for it! You will fail, but you will succeed! You can’t have it one way or another. When you fail, you learn from them. If you learn from them, you will succeed. So, don’t be afraid. Go for your dreams.

Alex: Thank you!