Wichita State golfer wins Kansas Amateur title, adds to Kansas City family history

Winning and golfing have long been a regular combination for the Winslow family of Overland Park.

As the youngest of three children, Michael Winslow watched in awe as his brother Joseph and sister Baile both won the Kansas High School State Championship at St. Thomas Aquinas and earned Division I scholarships to play golf in college.

Joseph has since followed in the footsteps of their father, Tony, who was a professional golfer at the time.

That’s quite a feat to live up to, and that’s what made Sunday afternoon so special for the Winslow family.

With his father as his caddie, Michael, the youngest, carved out his own piece of family history by winning the Kansas Amateur Match Play Championship on Sunday. He became the 14th golfer in state history to win both the Kansas Amateur and the Kansas Junior Amateur, which he won in 2018.

“You only get so many chances to have your dad as a caddie in your life,” said Michael, a senior on the Wichita State men’s golf team. “So winning, that was really, really special. We were both pretty emotional after I won. I give him all the credit for my golf knowledge. He’s definitely been the backbone of my career.”

The emotions of winning were heightened by the pain of defeat Winslow suffered last summer when he lost the finals of both the Kansas and Missouri Amateurs.

On Sunday, Winslow defeated Olathe’s Will King, a junior on the Kansas men’s golf team, in the second round of the 36-hole final to win by 2 up at Topeka Country Club. He is the second Shocker in a row to win the prestigious tournament following last year’s victory by Wichita native Zach Sokolosky, a former teammate.

“This is a testament to Mike’s confidence in his game and hard work,” said WSU men’s golf head coach Judd Easterling. “He’s been through so many challenges. I think (Sunday) he just said, ‘Enough is enough, I’m not going to lose today.'”

The experience Winslow gained during two 36-hole finals last summer stood him in good stead as he rounded the bend after two holes on Sunday morning.

In a situation that would normally have caused panic, Winslow remained calm.

“I learned from those past experiences and used it to my advantage in this tournament,” Winslow said. “There are going to be times when things don’t go your way. Last year I let it get to me. This year I was like, ‘Eh, I’ll take the next hole.'”

Winslow said he felt the momentum shift as he fought back to even after the morning round. After a lunch break, he set the tone for the afternoon round with a birdie on No. 1 to take the lead.

King fought back to take his own one-hole lead, but the match turned for good when Winslow won three straight holes at the end of the second front nine. The Shocker birdied both Nos. 7 and 8, then King’s bogey on No. 9 turned the score around and gave Winslow a two-hole lead.

A birdie on the 12th hole opened a three-hole lead, while King took one back with a birdie of his own on the 13th, before a bogey on the next hole gave Winslow back his three-hole lead with just four holes to go. King rallied for birdie on a must-win 16th hole but failed to extend the match on the 17th.

“I’m not going to lie, I was a little nervous toward the end,” Winslow said. “But my dad really helped me. He said, ‘Think of all the great things in your life and the people you love. Now take a deep breath.’ That was amazing.”

By winning the Kansas Am, Winslow qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship, which begins August 12 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

Coming from such a distinguished golfing family, he felt a real sense of accomplishment Sunday. His trophy collection now includes a Kansas high school individual state title, a Kansas Junior Amateur title and a Kansas Amateur title.

“It still hasn’t really sunk in,” Winslow said. “It’ll probably hit me sometime (Monday). This is just so awesome.”