Billy Ray Brown

Billy Ray Brown
Personal information
Born	(1963-04-05) April 5, 1963 (age 62) Missouri City, Texas, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14.6 st)
Sporting nationality	United States
Residence	Missouri City, Texas, U.S.
Career
College	University of Houston
Turned professional	1987
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour
Professional wins	3
Highest ranking	54 (May 17, 1992) [1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	3
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament	T19: 1992
PGA Championship	T40: 1992
U.S. Open	T3: 1990
The Open Championship	CUT: 1992

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

Early life

Brown was born, raised, and still lives in Missouri City, Texas. His father, Charlie Brown, ^[5] played football for the Houston Cougars football and professionally in the CFL and AFL.

Amateur career

Brown 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.

Professional career

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 seventeen 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)

this list may be incomplete

• 1982 NCAA Championship

Professional wins (3)

PGA Tour wins (3)

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

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

• 1987 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
• 1995 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
• 1996 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates

References

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. "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

• Billy Ray Brown at the PGA Tour official site
• Billy Ray Brown at the Official World Golf Ranking official site