“I can’t say (being deaf) is a plus"

While everyone was watching Erik Compton at first stage of Q-school, Dave Seanor reminds us in par 1 of a two-parter that another feel good story tees it up this week. Kevin Hall has been profiled many times because he's of African-American descent, but Seanor focuses on what it's like for Hall to be deaf and what that means to a competitive golfer.

Some suggest Hall has a competitive advantage because he’s not distracted by noise. (Sound familiar, Casey Martin?) But any golf instructor will tell you that sound provides important feedback when a ball is struck. Moreover, Hall isn’t immune to distraction, thanks to exceptionally acute peripheral vision. As does Woods when he hears a camera shutter click, Hall will stop in mid-swing if he detects movement in the gallery.

“I can’t say (being deaf) is a plus,” says Percy Hall, Kevin’s father and occasional caddie. “It doesn’t facilitate what he’s doing. He deals with distractions – voices in his head and visual distractions. Those kind of things are going on in his head, just like everyone else.”