News & Events

"Uneven Fairways" Examines the Story of African-American Golfers during Segregation

February 9, 2011

“Uneven Fairways,” a documentary film hosted by Samuel L. Jackson that examines the stories and struggles of African-American professional golfers during segregation, will be screened at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in UNC Asheville's Humanities Lecture Hall.

Filmmaker and journalist Pete McDaniel, a UNC Asheville alumnus, will host the screening as part of the university's homecoming celebration. McDaniel will also present a talk about the history of African-Americans in golf, concentrating on the black golf tour in which Asheville played a vital role. The film and talk are free and open to the public.

“Uneven Fairways” delves into the stories of John Shippen, the first African-American professional golfer; Charlie Sifford, the first African-American member of the PGA; Bill Spiller and Ted Rhodes, leaders in overturning the PGA’s “Caucasians Only” clause; and heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, who was also the first African-American to compete in a PGA sanctioned event. The documentary features interviews with Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, and debuted on the Golf Channel in 2009.

Pete McDaniel is a contributing editor for Golf Digest, and an inductee into the African American Golfers Hall of Fame and National Black Golf Hall of Fame. McDaniel and Earl Woods, father of Tiger Woods, co-authored the best-selling book, “Training a Tiger.” McDaniel also co-authored Tiger Woods’ all-time best-selling golf instruction book, “How I Play Golf.” McDaniel is the author of the critically acclaimed “Uneven Lies: The Heroic Story of African Americans in Golf,” on which the “Uneven Fairways” documentary is based. He graduated from UNC Asheville in 1974.

For more information, visit the homecoming Web page or call 828.251.6991.