In Appreciation of Harry Hall

I don’t get as much time as I’d like with our Korn Ferry Tour players, but it’s not to say that I don’t follow what’s happening VERY closely. The PGA Tour has stars like Rahm, Xander, Sam, etc. but coming out of the KFT ranks are some bright young stars whose games will travel nicely once they get to the big stage.

The talent at the KFT level is heavy Akshay Bhatia, Kevin Yu, Norman Xiong, Max Greyserman, and our point of conversation for this article is Harry Hall.

Hailing from Hayle, Eng, and West Cornwall Golf club in the UK, Harry is straight out of a Guy Ritchie film. The UNLV grad (Class of ’18) is a beast of a man standing at 6’4 and 225 pounds (16 stones). If “Bullet Tooth” Tony from SNATCH had a golfer son, Harry would be it. It’s not just the UK connection; it’s the newsboy cap, the perfectly crafted mustache, the intensity, and most of all, the unwavering belief that he can be at the pinnacle of the PGA Tour. Let’s face it, ALL of the players at this level perform at an elite level, but very few have the swagger and stubbornness to make it out here truly….and stay here.

As we sit in late June, Harry is well on his way to securing his PGA Tour card for the 2022-2023 season (currently 14th in the Top 25), with his most recent win coming at the NV5 in Glenview, Ill. The guy can go deep, with both of his KFT victories coming with a winning score of -20 or better. I wanted to get the perspective of someone who sees him week in and week out, and that man is Callaway KFT Performance, Rep. Mike Soroka.

This is what he had to say…

“Harry has a complete game. He hits it a mile while having an extra gear or two when needed. He has all the shots as far as being able to work the ball both ways and control his trajectory. HH also has incredible touch around the greens and is one of the best putters I’ve ever seen.

The one thing Harry does well and has always impressed me is that there’s never any quit. He birdied five of his last seven holes to get into a playoff at the NV5 invitational and then birdied all three playoffs holes to win. He has rallied with a few birdies to make cuts and seems to be able to dig deep when it’s needed the most.

Now that last one’s a funny question and something Harry, and I disagree with at times. He’s one of the hardest workers out there, and like all golfers, he’s always looking for ways to improve. But I think that can sometimes work against players because there’s such a fine line with “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and looking for ways to improve. It becomes harder for players to commit to what might be a “perfect” 14 club set up in the bag when they’re always looking to improve. So I think if he finds a way ever so slightly commit to the clubs that are working and focus more on getting a game plan for the week (a lot of new courses next year on the PGA Tour), it’ll go a long way for him.”

See his full WITB here:

Korn Ferry Tour: NV5 Champion Harry Hall

Enough of my take on Harry Hall; let’s get to know the man himself…IN HIS OWN WORDS:

JW: You have a very unique style, tell me about your golf influences growing up.

HH: No influencers, just quite a unique chap and personality I guess. Never looked up to anyone style-wise or tried to be like anyone. I’ve always dressed up, dressed differently, and the older I’m getting the more boring I’m getting…but I always said when I could, I’d have a 100 suits and wear one out to dinner every night. Harry Styles is a big influencer now…what he’s doing when he performs and what he wears…I’m a big fan of the high-waisted pants and his style. Sometimes I’ll put on a pair of high-waisted pants and play a social game in Vegas now and then…’ll dance like Harry in the evenings too sometimes! Hard to wear what he does though in 90+ degrees for over 5 hours! That uniqueness with a rich history with Jim Barnes coming from my club, West Cornwall Golf Club, winning 4 majors from 1915-1925 who also wore the same hat…I thought it was only fitting to do the same. We have a very similar story, and hopefully, I can replicate his performance on the course. 

JW: What was your first breakthrough moment when you knew you could play this game at the highest level?

HH: At the 2019 Walker Cup, playing at Royal Liverpool, a few thousand people a hole, I knew then that I was comfortable and really enjoyed playing on the stage. Loved it! But, it wasn’t until the week after at the Dunhill Links in Scotland, where I made my first professional cut and teed it up with Rory McIlroy, that I knew I had the game, and more so the mental game. I shot 65 (-7) that day, finishing the tournament at T15.

JW: What are the strengths of your game and what do you think needs to get better to do what you want to do out on the PGA Tour?

HH: My putting and short game are my strengths. Surprising, right for a 6ft 4, 225lb guy? West Cornwall is 5500 yards long and only had a short game area and a 180-yard patch of fairway to hit balls on. So much of my time was spent playing the game and learning how to get up and down out of a sandy divot. Hitting more greens is an area that I have and can still improve. 

 JW: Tell us about your experience being a member of Team Callaway

HH: The relationships I’ve formed with Mike Soroka on the KFT, and the whole team who I’ve been around, are priceless.  I’ve been treated so well and the better I play the more I look forward to being a bigger part of the brand and I can hopefully do as much for them as they do for me. There’s not one part of my bag that I feel could be better. 

JW: What do you want to be listed on your resume in 5 years?

HH: Whether or not it’s the next 5 years or 20, a green jacket and several Ryder Cups. Everyone’s career is different, and everyone peaks at different times. I haven’t been one to have success quickly, but I’m on my own journey and will continue to take a step up the ladder every year until I reach my stars. ‘A man can reach his stars’ …a knights tale is my favorite movie ever! 

JW: What major would you like to win first and why? 

HH: The Masters. Jim Barnes won the rest. It’s my goal to finish the job and what I believe would make West Cornwall Golf Club the only club in the UK to have all 4 Major Championships. That would be incredible.

JW: What current player is your favorite to watch?

HH: You need to pay to watch sports back home in England and we never had it growing up so I didn’t watch a lot of golf or sports. Just played them! Now, what I love most after moving to the US, whether it’s golf or basketball or the NFL, is the last few moments of the tournament or game when players have to be clutch… to see them perform when it matters and see what people are made of. I love watching any golfer when they need to make a putt or Steph Curry or Tom Brady in the last 5 minutes of a close game. Those are my favorite moments to watch sports, regardless of who it is. 

JW: Snatch or Lock Stock? Craig or Connery? Queen or the Beatles?

HH: Snatch, Craig …my era…, queen…because of bohemian rhapsody. But all not as good as peaky blinders….! The Peaky Blinders reminds me a lot of where I grew up in Camborne in Cornwall. It’s a working-class old mining town and is still very much underdeveloped. So the peaky blinders feel close to home. When I won in Wichita last year, they asked us at the start of the week what we wanted our theme song to be when we were walking up 17 (KFT version of the WM Phoenix) which had a significant amount of people around the hole, a few thousand, with a DJ. I chose ‘red right hand’ which is the theme song for the Peaky Blinders. Thursday, Friday, in the lead, and they, don’t play it. Saturday, Final group, don’t play it. Sunday, final group, one-shot lead walking off 17, step of the tee box, and they play it! Felt on top of the world!! Wearing my hat and leading the tournament…and went on to win. I’d say that was the highlight of my year in 2021. 

Where do I see this going?

In my opinion, his five and twenty-year goals are right in the pocket. Harry has that certain thing that I think translates even better on the PGA Tour. It’s swagger; on TOUR, we have a different name for it, but ultimately it’s confidence. It’s that inner belief that even at your worst, there is always something inside that will remain competitive. I’m excited for this Harry Hall vibe to hit the big show; I believe he hasn’t even sniffed what he’s capable of.

See you on the big stage