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>>April
23 , 2008<<
Hope
you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I know I did. My mom's cooking
is really, really good. I'll never get tired of her cooking.
I'm back. Sorry it's taken me a while to write a new journal entry but here it is. It's been a crazy last few months for me. I've been to places like Mississippi, Florida, Myrtle Beach and Georgia. I played in 6 Hooters events in August and September. I made three out of six cuts. I'm disappointed in how I finished the final events of the Hooters tour because I know I'm a better player than that but I learned a lot from those tournaments. The Hooters tour has a lot of good players and the field for event is usually very deep and one had to be on the top of his game for the whole week to have a chance to win. The first of the last six events was at Mississippi. We played at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club. I really liked the layout of the course but it was very vulnerable to the players because the course was plagued by the summer heat that rendered the greens soft as marshmellows. The field really took advantage of the course conditions, it was like throwing darts. I played reasonably well, taking it to 8 under after 3 rounds then I faded on the last day and finished in the top 30. Then we moved on to Pensacola, FL. We played at Perdido Bay. The course was really affected by the heat wave. There were several sand holes on the greens. Fortunately we were allowed to take relief on the greens if one of those holes got in the way of our line. The greens were really soft and again the field took advantage. I had a miserable time with my swing. I had no idea where the ball was going. I just tried to hit it solid and hope that it went straight. I was horrible with the driver all week. I was reduced to swinging about 50% and as a result I only drove the ball about 240-250. I was fortunate to have a hot short game that week and I rode it all the way to another top 30 finish. We moved on to Alabama and the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. It was a very long week as we got hit by heavy showers all week long. We had a lot of rain delay and some of us had to play 27 or more holes. I never got into a rhythm, especially with the driver. The problems I had with the driver the previous week in Pensacola continued in Alabama. I had the dreaded hooks and no matter what I did, I kept hooking it. With Robert Trent Jones famed double or triple tiered greens, I was no match for the course playing from the woods or rough all day long. I missed the cut. The last three tournaments were played on interesting yet challenging courses. The first one was played in Myrtle Beach at River Hills cc. It was one of the tightest courses we played all season long and with my problems off the tee, it posed a difficult task for me to keep my tee shots in play. River Hills' demanding tee shots coupled with the firmness and quickness of the greens proved to be difficult for me as I wasn't as accurate off the tee and deft with my touch around the greens. I missed the cut. The next week, we played at Goshen Plantation in Augusta, GA. The course was very long and the greens were large and had a lot of slopes. The tee shots were played to a lot of inviting fairways. We were again met with a very unhappy Mother Nature. We faced a lot of rain delays. After two weeks of being on my own, my dad rejoined me on the road and energized by his presence on my bag, I opened with a 69. I followed that up with a 73 which easily made the cut. I wasn't able to continue the good play as I lost my patience with the rain delays and played horrible golf over the weekend. The final event of the Hooters tour was played in Summerville, SC at Wescott Plantation Golf Club. It was a beautiful course to play on but unfortunately, we were visited again by Mother Nature which forced more rain delays. The rain rendered the course soft and vulnerable to a field that had the ability to pepper the course with birdies and eagles. Before the tournament began, my dad and I worked hard on my driver because we knew that a solid tee ball was the key to playing well that week. We had a good practice and I felt confident that I was ready to drive the ball well. On the very first hole of the tournament, my driver decided to take a vacation and I had a left and right thing going on. Hook. Slice. Hook. Slice. It was so miserable that it caused my dad to quip, 'Son, you're starting to look like me. Maybe you should put that driver away and just hit your 3 wood. It sounded like a brilliant idea at the time and that's exactly what I did in the second round. No driver. 3 wood all day long and what do you know, I shot 69. A little too late, though, I missed the cut by 1. Just like that, my season was over. So I packed up and went home, looking forward to a month long break before showtime begins again at the PGA Tour Qualifying School. The month long break hardly felt like vacation. I celebrated my 25th birthday with chicken wings, mac and cheese, vegetables, cake & ice cream, and plenty of laughs with family. Then it was back to work. Most of my practice concentrated on the chief problems, the driver and the putter. I took lessons and worked on my technique with my dad. I changed drivers and the style of my putting setup and concentrated on them for a couple weeks. Then I scheduled 6 straight days of matches against good players to put the things I've worked on to a test. I played well in those matches. I drove the ball great and made a lot of putts. It was a mental boost and I feel that I'm headed into next week's Q school with a lot of confidence in my game. If I believe in what I've been working on and keep a positive attitude, I should do well in the tournament. I am playing in the first stage at Grasslands CC in Lakeland, FL Oct 23-26. Wish me good luck! I will write again and let you guys know how I did at Q school! Until then, take care of yourself and God bless you!
>>July 23, 2007 << Hello friends! I just got back from St. Louis where I participated in my first deaf golf tournament, the US Deaf National Golf Championship. What an experience! I was lucky to have an open week when the tournament director Rob Strano contacted me the Friday before the tournament to see if I was able to play and so I went. I was a little nervous at first because I had not played in a tournament against deaf golfer and it was their national championship so I was going to be playing against the best deaf golfers in the country. We arrived in St. Louis on Sunday and got a chance to play a practice round. The golf course, designed by 1968 Masters champion Bob Goalby, was in beautiful shape with two completely different nines. The first nine holes were a tree-lined type of golf where you had to play position golf. The second nine holes were a links type of golf where you had to control the trajectory of the ball in the wind. It was a perfect course to host a National championship.
I got off to a good start in the first round, shooting a bogey
free 68, which put me in the lead by 7. It was a nearly flawless
round of golf. The same can't be said for my second round, I played
really sloppy golf but my short game saved me as I shot a 69 which
was highlighted with a chip-in for eagle on the last hole. The
69 stretched my lead to 12 strokes over second place Doren Granberry,
the defending champion. My putting went cold in the 3rd round
as I struggled with my approach shots and a few short putts which
led to a 71 but it was still good enough to increase my lead to
18 strokes going into the final round. Perhaps my favorite moment of the week was the shootout Wednesday afternoon with 11 players. The shootout is a fun event that pits players against each other with the highest score being eliminated after each hole and the highest scores that are tied going into a playoff. The thing is those who go into the playoff are not allowed to watch the shots being played. The players had to turn away while a player plays his shot. What that does is add to the suspense and pressure of playoff golf...Nobody knew what they had to beat. It was a very interesting event. I cruised through the first five holes with three pars and two birdies. We started with 11 players and six players were eliminated with two being cut on the first hole and one eliminated on every hole after the first hole. The sixth hole was a par 5 that bends sharply to the left with an option of driving over the trees to set up a mid iron into the green. It came down to making a 3 footer for par just to stay alive and let me tell you, that was nerve-wracking. I survived the playoff. I made par on the seventh hole and won the playoff too. Then I made par on the eighth hole and advanced to the finals on the ninth hole. Dano Aldaz was the other player in the final and we both parred the hole and we had to do the playoff that was closest to the pin. The par 3 is 166 yards in length and the wind was helping. I hit a tight draw with a 8 iron that landed 5 feet from the hole. Dano hit a good shot but it slid a little bit right of my ball. I loved the pressure and the fact I pulle off shots I needed to pull off. It was great. I am glad I was able to make it to the tournament. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and I can't wait to do it again. Those deaf golfers can play! They have a good organization and it is only to get bigger and bigger as time goes along. I look forward to seeing the field grow in size as years go by and I look forward to being part of the event for years to come!
Kevin Hall
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Jennifer and I started at Walnut Cove, a course designed by Jack Nicklaus. You know what to expect when you’re playing a Nicklaus course: generous fairways and greens that don’t allow a large margin of error with your approach shots and par 3’s that will test your patience. We teed off at 10:40 and the wind was BLOWING. “Howling” would be the correct term. I had a three footer for par on the first hole and the wind was blowing me all over the place. The ball had no chance and I started with a bogey. Not exactly the start I was looking for. The second hole is a par 3 with a dramatic drop from the tee to the green. It was playing about 175 yards with the pin up front but the wind was blowing so hard you had to punch a 5 or 6 iron to keep it low. I ended up ballooning my ball up in the air into the greenside bunker. I hit a beautiful bunker shot to three feet and ended up missing it for par. I had to tell myself to settle down and I did. I played 3 under par for the rest of the way and shot a 71. I played Keowee Vineyards the next day and it was the wildest display of tee shots I’ve had this year. I hit four balls that looked like my Dad when he’s having a bad day off the tee and ended up making doubles and triples on my way to a 73. Still, I was only one over par going to the easiest course of the rotation, The Valley, with a chance to shoot a low score and make the cut. I made too many mistakes at the beginning on the Valley course and it led to two consecutive double bogeys which were disappointing but I had a wonderful time and gained a lot of experience along the way. I had a great time playing with Jennifer Mills. I had the opportunity to get to know her when I was in Orlando playing in the Hooters Winter series. We played a few times and I got to meet her family. They are an awesome bunch of people. Jennifer is a fantastic person with a zest for life. I am blessed to have her as my friend. She isn’t a bad golfer eitherJ. She hit some shots last week that amazed me. On a par 3 at the Valley course, number 11, she hit a beautiful 7 iron 10 feet from the hole. She asked me to read her putt and I said inside left and in front of what seemed to be like a million of people, she drained the ball dead center like a pro. Something
happened last week that I will take with me for the rest of my
life. I got to meet Gary Player and played a few holes with him.
I was on number 13 on the Valley course and I was just chipping
on the green when I saw Gary Player hit his tee shot on #12 and
I told my caddie, “I think I just saw Mr. Player. Is he
here?” and my caddie said, “Yes.” So I decided
to wait on the 13th tee because it is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to meet someone like Gary Player. So he finally got to the 13th
green and I walked up to him to introduce myself. I asked if I
could play the last few holes with him and he said yes. I was
amazed to see how fit Mr. Player was. He does 1,000 sit-ups and
push-ups a day, every day. I asked him to give me a bunker lesson
and he was holing shots with his 9 iron. What a legend he is!
He is a very nice man and also very funny! After he was done telling
me about what he eats and giving me suggestions as to what I should
do to take care of myself, my caddie asked him, “Mr. Player,
what about me? What should I do for myself?” Mr. Player
took a long look at him and said, “Quit eating so much.”
Then he hopped into the cart and drove off. I laughed so hard.
It was a rewarding experience. >>May 25, 2007<< Hello friends! Sorry it took a while before I wrote another journal entry. It’s been a hectic schedule playing in a bunch of tournaments. I have been trying to get used to a bag full of new equipment from the driver to the putter, all from Cleveland Golf. I also have been trying to get used to the length I get with the equipment including Titleist golf balls. So far, it’s been working out for me. I’ve played in six Hooters Summer series and I have made four out of six cuts. Those aren’t bad results, it shows that my game is headed in the right direction because I am making cuts and playing consistent golf. All I need is for my finishes in the tournaments to be stronger. The level of competition on the Hooters Tour is amazing. The field every week is pretty deep. It’s a wonderful experience to go out there week in and week out to compete against those guys. The experience itself is valuable and it will prepare me in my journey to the ultimate goal, which is to play on the PGA Tour. I just finished playing in a US Open qualifier at Maketewah Country Club, which is in Cincinnati, my hometown. It was exciting to come home and play in front of a lot of my supporters. The course is a short, tree-lined course that requires a player to be able to maneuver the ball with a draw or a fade off the tee and to be precise with his approach shots. There were over 140 players vying for the top 10 spots that would advance them to the second stage of US Open qualifying. I was put in the final group at 2:20 which was fine with me because I would know exactly what number I had to shoot in order to advance. I started off conservatively with five pars before making a birdie on my 6th hole. Everything was going according to plan until I muffed two wedge shots in a row on my 7th and 8th holes while led to two silly bogies. I bogied my 11th hole to go to two over par. I needed a late rally just to make the playoffs at one under par and it looked like I was going to do just that when I birdied 13, 15 and 16. I flinched on a 2 footer putt for par on 17 and ended up missing out on playoff by a stroke. That was disappointing but I learned from it and moved on. Next week I play in Chicago in a nationwide event. The LaSalle Bank Open. I’m looking forward to it. It’s another course that you have to drive the ball well on and be able to play your approach shots on the proper quadrants on the greens. The penalty is severe if you are wild off the tee. Throw the wind into the mix and you’ve got a tough course. I played in the event last year and it was cold, windy and the course was playing quite fast. I couldn’t control my ball and as a result I didn’t shoot the scores I was hoping to shoot. This year should be a little bit better now that I know how to play the course and I know what to expect. Wish me good luck! Kevin >>Mar. 25, 2007<<
In early February I had the opportunity to play with Tiger Woods at his home course, Isleworth. I was very excited about the opportunity to play with Tiger because it gave me a chance to see greatness up close. Tiger has achieved what we all dream of achieving and it is a pleasure to play with someone like him. For all of you who were wondering, yes I did get a good night’s sleep before the round. It was a cold, breezy day with temperatures in the low 50’s. I got to the course around 10:00 and I was told that Tiger was out on the practice area. Se we drove our carts to the practice area and there he was, Tiger, on the putting green, with his teacher, Hank Haney. People watch Tiger on TV and in person during tournaments and see him perform extraordinary under pressure but they don’t understand what makes Tiger Woods so good. It’s a cold, miserable day and he’s out for hours practicing and preparing when most of us would be tucked in bed trying to stay warm. We slapped a few putts around and warmed up a little bit on the range and shortly after we started our round. It is hard to appreciate the skills of Tiger on TV until you see it in person and I saw plenty. Now, I have a comfortable shot which is a draw with every club in my bag. That’s what I played. Tiger? I played 18 holes with him and I saw low fades, high draws, stingers, low draws, flop, high hook, high slice, just about every shot in the book. Number 10 is a par 4, maybe 420, dogleg left. I hit a good drive down the middle. Tiger pushed his drive a little, about 40 yards past me under some trees. I thought he would hit something low and chase it onto the green but I thought, he’s Tiger Woods, what am I thinking? He steps up, aims 100 yards right of the green, hits up and over the trees, snaps it left 100 yards. The ball lands past the pin and spins back to about 20 feet. On the par 3 # 11, about 182 yards to the pin into a nice breeze, I had to squeeze every bit of strength into a punch 4 iron just to get it there. Tiger’s came up, took a swing that looked half-hearted and the ball bleeds a little to the right, about 10 feet pin high. I’m thinking 6 or 5 iron and I asked Tiger and he said 4 iron. That blew my mind. He has arms that look like Popeye and he’s strong but he but he has the ability to change swing speed with every club in his bag to manufacture shots to different yardages. That’s amazing. After playing 17 holes, having a great time and learning a great deal, I decided to challenge Tiger to a little game on the 18th hole. Hey, one can dream of beating Tiger, right? He was more than happy to take me on. Hole # 18 is a long par 4 about 460 or so with a dogleg right. There are three bunkers to carry on the right side. Tiger rips his drive over everything on the right. I took a huge cut at my ball and found the fairway. When we got to our balls, Tiger was some 50 yards past me. That didn’t feel good!! I didn’t hit a good approach shot and Tiger puts his approach shot about 20 feet from the pin then drain the birdie putt. Well, I wouldn’t expect anything less from the #1 player in the world! It was a wonderful experience playing with Tiger Woods. I got a huge dose of what it takes to play at his level and trust me; it takes a LOT of dedication and commitment. After witnessing his game upfront, I have a greater appreciation for him and what he does in golf. He is very motivated individual who will only improve as time goes on. The most valuable lesson I learned was that Tiger is never satisfied. Here’s an individual who has won several majors, countless PGA events as well as other events all over the world. He is ranked #1 in the world and he still thinks he needs to improve. That is scary. If he gets up everyday looking to improve on that impressive game of his then why are we satisfied with what we have? I learned that no matter how much you have accomplished or how good you might be at something, there is always room to improve. That is a lesson welled learned. See
next time, >>Feb.
27, 2007<< I didn't know what to expect when I joined the tour. My confidence was like a yo-yo, going up and down. I played in the first tournament which was at Daytona Beach and I shot 7 under in the final round to jump all the way up to 5th. Good start. Then I rattled off six straight cuts to finish off 2006. I played well and for the first time in months that I started to build confidence again in my game. I played well in the second half of the season and made 5 out of 6 cuts for a total of 11/12 cuts. It was a wonderful experience, competing against talented players on that tour week in and week out. I learned a lot that will help me along the way. I learned that I have to do everything I need to do to be prepared. Work out, practice, and study the course. Get all the information I can get. I learned that I need to stay patient and just play my own game. Stay consistent. Because in the end, that's all you have. Most importantly, I learned that my game is good enough to play with anybody. That's something every professional golfer must have. That confident attitude where he or she believes that he or she can hang with anybody on the golf course and hold his or her own ground. That's something I will take with me for the rest of the year and my golfing career. This is going to be an interesting 2007! Kevin |
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©2008
Kevin Hall |
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