Golf

Honing for history

By DAVE SCHEIBER
Published April 27, 2006

	[Times photo: Bob Croslin]
	Andia Winslow is used to being in the spotlight for racial milestones. In 2000 she became the first black to play golf not just at Yale but in the Ivy League.

LAKE BUENA VISTA - In some ways, she's a typical college graduate - moving to a new city far from home, living with relatives to keep expenses low, trying to jump-start the career of her dreams.

Then again, typical is hardly the word to describe Andia Winslow.

Her smooth, powerful swing on a balmy morning at Disney's Magnolia Golf Course is proof of that.

For football fans, so is her familiar surname.

She is a cousin of Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow, though she's always considered him an uncle. And last year she moved from her parent's home in Seattle to Orlando, staying with the former San Diego Charger, now director of planning and new business development for Disney Sports.

Yet what sets Winslow apart most is the legacy she hopes to continue.

Today, when she tees off at 2:05 p.m. at the nearby Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open, Winslow will become the first African-American to compete in an LGPA Tour event in the past five years.

But the most striking aspect of her quest is this: Should Winslow qualify for the LPGA later this year, she would be only the fourth African-American member in the 56-year history of the women's tour.

Still an amateur, Winslow has been granted a sponsor's exemption by Ginn, allowing her to join the 144-player field that has its sights on one of the richest LPGA purses ever, $2.5-million.

Winslow, who earned a B.A. in sociology in 2004 from Yale, is aware of the sociological implications.

"First things first - I'm a competitor," says Winslow, 23. "My job is to play and the goal is to win. But I realize that this is a critical moment in the history of the game, a critical moment in the global change in golf. And I'm proud to be a part of it."

With African-American participation in the pro game lacking, beyond the massive presence of Tiger Woods, Winslow wants to be part of the change.

Ultimately, she wants to join the tiny list of black LPGA golfers: tennis legend Althea Gibson, who played golf from 1964-71; Renee Powell, 1967-80; and LaRee Pearl Sugg, 1995-97 and 2000-01. And she wants to inspire other young minority golfers.

"It could be someone else sitting here talking to you about this," she says. "It's not a matter of me being the fourth or what it means for me as an individual. I'm part of something important and I accept the responsibility that goes with it."

Winslow is accustomed to being in the spotlight for racial milestones - and casting her own light on matters of race in film.

In 1999, she was honored as the National Minority Junior Golfer of the Year and as a Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholar. And one year later, she became the first African-American to play golf at not just Yale but in the Ivy League.

Winslow also immersed herself in filmmaking at Yale, working with fellow student Monique Walton on a study of the race relations at the New Haven, Conn., institution. Their documentary, Still Black, At Yale, was awarded a Sudler Arts Grant from Yale and is making the rounds at film festivals.

The documentary reflects the influence of her family. Her father, Gilbert Winslow, is a civil rights attorney in Seattle; mother Lynn is an artist and former school administrator. "She's very creative, and I think that's where I get the film side," she says. "They were very strong in my childhood and I'm proud of my family."

Her grandfather, Robert Winslow, was in the last class of the Tuskegee Airmen, seeing combat in Korea. Then there's two other well-known cousins: Kellen Jr. of the Cleveland Browns, and comedian/actor Michael Winslow. "He was the guy who made all the funny sounds in Police Academy," she says.

Winslow was anxious to make a mark of her own in the traditional Ivy power Yale women's golf program. But after her senior year in high school, she broke two fingers horsing around playing racquetball. She was devastated, and then set herself back by returning too soon her first season at Yale, despite a 10th-place finish in the Ivy League Championship.

Enter Kellen. "My uncle really helped me to be patient," she recalls. "He told me, "Take your time. Enjoy what you're doing. Enjoy life.' "

The advice helped her cope with the frustration of falling behind in golf and made her realize she wanted to embrace the college experience.

"I got involved with film, I traveled abroad to Brazil and did things I would not have considered if I hadn't been hurt," she says.

Her golf game, meanwhile, never really got on track. She played little as a junior and not at all as a senior. "I don't believe Andia reached her potential as a golfer in college; she chose to take advantage of all that Yale has to offer," says former Yale women's golf coach Mary Moan. "I could tell she expected more of herself." Still, her passion for the game remained. And after graduating, she once again turned to a man well-versed in competition:

"I had this discussion with my uncle and I said, "What do I do? I love this game so much but I've laid off so long. Is there still time?' And he said, "There's always time. It's life.' And look where I am now."

What impresses the man known for his great hands most about this Winslow athlete with pretty decent hands herself? "Her desire to be good at whatever she attempts," he says. "As in any sport, if you combine athletic ability with technique, you have something special."

The football man suggested she move to golf-centric Orlando to hone her game. Winslow won the Golfweek Orlando Championship in 2005 but still has much to learn. To help, she has worked since February with golf instructor Brian Mogg, who has been focusing on Winslow's short game.

"She's emotionally ready for this challenge and the physical progress she's made in the 21/2-3 months we've been working together has been fantastic," he says. "One of the things you do is look at someone's swing and say, "Where could this evolve to?' And I looked not just at her swing, but everything, and it was like, "wow.' This is not going to be a quick change, but given time and experience, there's legitimate potential to be a top 10 or 20 player."

When she's not competing, she works part time at Disney's golf courses doing a little bit of everything. But the slender, 5-foot-7 Winslow is gearing her efforts to the LPGA's qualifying tournaments this fall, when she hopes to do well enough to turn pro. Her goals are lofty: "What's the point of joining if you're not going to shoot for the top?' she says.

Whatever happens, Winslow plans to remain active on many fronts: perhaps law, continuing as a freelance writer, and one day returning to film work.

"It puts my life in context," she says. "I play golf, but that doesn't define me as person."

[Last modified April 27, 2006, 09:42:07]