William[2] (Billy) Ray Brown (born April 5, 1963) is a former American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1980s and 1990s, and a current on course reporter for Golf Channel[3] and commentator for CBS Sports.[4]

Billy Ray Brown
Personal information
Born (1963-04-05) April 5, 1963 (age 60)
Missouri City, Texas, U.S.
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceMissouri City, Texas
Career
CollegeUniversity of Houston
Turned professional1987
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Professional wins3
Highest ranking54 (May 17, 1992)[1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour3
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT19: 1992
PGA ChampionshipT40: 1992
U.S. OpenT3: 1990
The Open ChampionshipCUT: 1992

Brown was born, raised, and makes his home in Missouri City, Texas. His father, Charlie Brown,[5] played football for the Houston Cougars football and professionally in the CFL and AFL. Billy Ray attended the University of Houston and was a member of the Cougar golf team. He won the 1982 NCAA Division I Championship as a freshman. He was also a member of the 1984 and 1985 national championship teams, and was an All-American all four years.

Brown won three PGA Tour events in a career cut short by an injury and subsequent surgeries to his wrist. His best finish in a major championship was T-3 at the 1990 U.S. Open, one stroke out of the playoff.[6] He had 17 top-10 finishes in 315 PGA Tour events.

After his playing days ended, Brown moved into the media to serve as an on-course reporter for ABC Sports from 1999 until 2006. In 2007, Brown joined the Golf Channel as an on-course reporter for their PGA Tour and Champions Tour coverage.[3]

Amateur wins (1) edit

this list may be incomplete

Professional wins (3) edit

PGA Tour wins (3) edit

No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 Jul 28, 1991 Canon Greater Hartford Open 67-72-65-67=271 −10 Playoff   Rick Fehr,   Corey Pavin
2 May 17, 1992 GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic 69-64-66=199* −11 Playoff   Ben Crenshaw,   Raymond Floyd,
  Bruce Lietzke
3 Jul 20, 1997 Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic 69-66-69-67=271 −17 1 stroke   Mike Standly

*Note: The 1992 GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

PGA Tour playoff record (2–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponents Result
1 1991 Canon Greater Hartford Open   Rick Fehr,   Corey Pavin Won with birdie on first extra hole
2 1992 GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic   Ben Crenshaw,   Raymond Floyd,
  Bruce Lietzke
Won with birdie on first extra hole

Results in major championships edit

Tournament 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Masters Tournament T42 T19 CUT CUT
U.S. Open T3 T19 CUT CUT
The Open Championship CUT
PGA Championship CUT CUT T73 T40 CUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Week 20 1992 Ending 17 May 1992" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  2. ^ Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, database, FamilySearch : 1 January 2015, William Ray Brown, 05 Apr 1963; database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2005); citing Texas Department of State Health Services.
  3. ^ a b "Billy Ray Brown". Golf Channel.
  4. ^ "Masters Live on CBSSports.com Returns for 2013 Masters". CBS Sports. April 3, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
  5. ^ Birth record for William Ray Brown, Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  6. ^ "Golf Major Championships". Retrieved January 22, 2008.

External links edit