Kevin Hall is the 2017 recipient of the Genesis Open's Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption and will make his PGA Tour debut next week at Riviera.
Named after Sifford last month, the tournament exemption has been awarded since 2009 and is focused on "representing the advancement of diversity in the game of golf." Past recipients include Harold Varner III (2014), Carlos Sainz (2015) and J.J. Spaun (2016).
Hall, 34, lost his hearing at age 2 because of H-Flu meningitis. A top-ranked junior player, Hall was the first-ever African American to play on a golf scholarship at Ohio State and now plays professionally on the SwingThought Pro Golf Tour and Advocates Pro Golf Tour.