The Advocates Pro Tour wrapped up the 2016 campaign with its championship event, August 20-21, 2016, at Chester Washington Golf Course, in Los Angeles, Calif. Kevin Hall birdied the final hole to defeat Landon Lyons by one shot. On Saturday, Hall shattered the course record with a nine under par 61. He followed with a 68 on Sunday to finish the tournament at 129, eleven under par.
(Left) Edward Barnett, Buffalo Wild Wings franchise owner, (center) Kevin Hall, (right) Ken Bentley, President of the Advocates Pro Tour.
The victory also clinched the Adrian Stills Award for Hall, earning him an additional $12,000 in prize monies. The Adrian Stills Award goes to the tour member who earns the most points throughout the season. Points are earned by order of finish.
Kevin Hall played in four of the five Advocates Pro Tour events in 2016. In addition to his Los Angeles victory, he won in Atlanta, finished second to Christian Heavens in Tampa, and fourth in Pensacola. He earned a total of $34,200 on the Advocates tour this year, had a stroke average of 67.1, and was a whopping 34 under par in the four events. That’s some incredible golf!
He is hardly an overnight sensation, though, and determination, perseverance, and the will to succeed go beyond good golf—and seem to be part of his DNA. At the age of two, Kevin lost his hearing to H-Flu Meningitis. His parents, Percy and Jackie Hall, suddenly had to learn sign language, as did Kevin, and the family bonded physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Being deaf never hindered Kevin, however, and growing up he competed in baseball, bowling, and golf (since age 10).
As a teenager, he chose golf as his favorite sport, and he was the best high school player in Cincinnati, thereby earning an academic and sports scholarship to (THE) Ohio State University. As a student/athlete Kevin was a scholar student and All-American golfer at Ohio State University, and as a senior, he won the Big Ten conference championship by eleven shots.
Percy and Jackie Hall regularly travel with Kevin, as he pursues his dream to play on the PGA Tour. Percy caddies for his son, and they communicate using sign language. To watch them work as a team is inspirational, and you can’t help but root for him to win, and for continued success. Kevin is one of the most popular players on the Advocates tour. He’s got game; he’s a gentleman, funny, and a man of strong faith and conviction. During his acceptance speech in LA, he captured the entire room by articulating, through Mom as interpreter, an emotional and humorous talk to close the Los Angeles event.
It concluded a great 2016 season for the Advocates Pro Tour. Over $60,000 in prize monies were awarded in the LA event and nearly $150,000 for the year. It’s hard to believe that this was year number seven for the tour, which continues to grow (up 24%) and serve its mission to “bring greater diversity to golf.”
In 2017, the brand will evolve, and be known as the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA). The number of tournaments will increase to six, with events in Tampa, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles. We thank our sponsors: the PGA Tour, Lexus, Buffalo Wild Wings, the Aids Healthcare Foundation, and Outdoor America Images (OAI). Last, we thank our players, who continue to support us, and offer constructive feedback to help us grow, prosper, and serve. It’s truly an honor to be part of this outstanding organization!
ABOUT MICHAEL COOPER, PH.D. Dr. Michael W. Cooper is the former Director of Diversity for the World Golf Foundation/The First Tee and past Assistant Dean/Campus Director for Springfield College-Tampa Bay campus. Contact him at mcooper2@springfieldcollege.edu
