Posted on 02/10/2006 11:34:44 AM PST by merry10
Deaf Golfer Competes With The Best Save It Email It Print It (CBS 13) His name is Kevin Hall. He's been playing golf since he was nine. But he has never heard his club hit the ball or that wonderful sound that comes when your ball rolls into the cup.
Kevin Hall looks like any other golfer out there. Thee only difference? He can't hear a thing. He is completely deaf. A lot of times the gallery has no idea.
"When they see me signing, then I see their eyes going ‘oh, what's he doing? What's that?’” said Kevin. “My dad has to explain that I'm deaf. Their reaction is sort of priceless. I love it."
And fans aren't the only ones who don't know he's deaf...sometimes the officials don't even know. In fact, one time he didn't hear a rule change and was penalized for it.
You can tell by his laugh and his smile that Kevin is enjoying every minute of this and he should be. You see, he's lucky to be alive. When he was two he was hospitalized for a month with meningitis. Doctors didn't think he was going to make it. He made it, but lost his hearing.
"I got a second chance at life. God game me a second chance," said Kevin.
"To see him now, it's pretty emotional. I have to pinch myself. Is this really real? My son’s playing with he top players in the world," said Percy Hall, Kevin’s father.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbs13.com ...
I'd think being deaf would be an advantage. You don't hear distracting noises. Now...if he were blind, that would be pretty amazing.
Now it would really be something if he were blind. I think a deaf golfer has an advantage over a blind golfer.
LOL! we had the same thoughts :)
Come on. Is this realy a newsworth story? Honestly!?!?
What I find most surprising is that his race wasn't highlighted in the story.
Hope he's not on a fairway next to mine the way I slice ....."FORE"
Glad you posted the photo. I've seen this young fellow profiled on TV, but didn't remember his name and didn't make the connection. I'm no Tiger Woods (and thus cannot pitch fits without criticism), but noises generally don't bother me on the golf course unless it's a bunch of loudmouths hooting and hollering on the next hole.
Didn't know that gold galleries spend a lot of time under a rock.
It's absolutely newsworthy. There are parents on free republic who have deaf children (me included). And I don't care about race; if he was a white deaf kid I would have posted it too. He is also a top bowler and had been a top baseball player until his mom made him pick one. You don't see this kid whining about being at a disadvantage cuz he can't hear or a disadvantage due to his race. ANYWAY this is just as newsworthy as over 5000 posts about the SUPERBOWL!
I dont understand your comment.
I dont understand your comment.
Now, if he had one hand, like a golfer I know and exceled at the game, thats a story.
He has one of those clamping hooks for a hand. And one time playing in a tournament in the group in front of me he hit his tee shot on a par 3, promptly slammed his club into the ground and yelled "ah shit." Turned around and walked off the tee. Seconds later his ball went in the hole for an Ace.
Being a fun tournament that was really just a reason to drink, play golf, and get out, he and his team was promptly disqualified and his closest to the pin prize taken away because he used "two irons" to hit the shot.
He found it funny. And yes, they did later give the prize to him.
"..or that wonderful sound that comes when your ball rolls into the cup. "
or that awful sound when your ball slams off a tree, DEEP in the woods...
or that round-killing sound your ball makes when it SPLASHES into the water hazard...
or the ear-splitting curses of weekend golfers experiencing the above...
"..or that wonderful sound that comes when your ball rolls into the cup. "
or that awful sound when your ball slams off a tree, DEEP in the woods...
or that round-killing sound your ball makes when it SPLASHES into the water hazard...
or the ear-splitting curses of weekend golfers experiencing the above...
I'll bet he uses the claw grip to putt.
How about that click sound as you ball hits the cart path and bounces 20 yards over the OB markers
we can disagree. that's fine with me. you have your opinion and i have mine.
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