Billy Ray Brown
Encyclopedia
Billy Ray Brown is a former American
professional golfer
who played on the PGA Tour
in the 1980s and 1990s, and a current sportscaster
for ESPN on ABC
.
Brown was born, raised and makes his home in Missouri City, Texas
. He attended the University of Houston
, and was a member of the 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 had three wins in PGA Tour
events during his playing career which was 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
. He had 17 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events in his career.
After his playing days ended, Brown moved into the media and has served as an on-course reporter for ABC Sports since 1999. Brown's father, Charlie, and his brother, Chuck, both played professional football as offensive linemen.
In 2007, Brown joined the Golf Channel as an on-course reporter for the Champions Tour.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional golfer
Professional golfer
In golf the distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose his or her amateur status. A golfer who has lost his or her amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated;...
who played on the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
in the 1980s and 1990s, and a current sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
for ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC
ESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
.
Brown was born, raised and makes his home in Missouri City, Texas
Missouri City, Texas
Missouri City is a city located in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County with a small portion within Harris County. As of the 2000 U.S...
. He attended the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, and was a member of the golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
team. He won the 1982 NCAA Division I Championship
NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships
The NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, starting in 2009 the competition changed to a stroke play/match play competition with the top 8 teams after 54 holes of...
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 had three wins in PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
events during his playing career which was cut short by an injury and subsequent surgeries to his wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
. His best finish in a major championship
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
was T-3 at the 1990 U.S. Open
1990 U.S. Open Golf Championship
The 1990 United States Open Championship was the 90th U.S. Open. The event was held from June 14-18 at Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3 in Medinah, Illinois. Hale Irwin won his third U.S. Open championship with a birdie on the first sudden-death hole to defeat Mike Donald after the 18-hole...
. He had 17 top-10 finishes in PGA Tour events in his career.
After his playing days ended, Brown moved into the media and has served as an on-course reporter for ABC Sports since 1999. Brown's father, Charlie, and his brother, Chuck, both played professional football as offensive linemen.
In 2007, Brown joined the Golf Channel as an on-course reporter for the Champions Tour.
Amateur wins (1)
this list may be incomplete- 1982 NCAA ChampionshipNCAA Division I Men's Golf ChampionshipsThe NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships, played in late May or early June, is the top annual competition in U.S. men's collegiate golf. It is a stroke play team competition, starting in 2009 the competition changed to a stroke play/match play competition with the top 8 teams after 54 holes of...
PGA Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 28, 1991 1991 PGA Tour The 1991 PGA Tour season was played from January 3 to November 3. The season consisted of 44 official money events. Billy Andrade, Mark Brooks, Fred Couples, Andrew Magee, Corey Pavin, Nick Price, Tom Purtzer, and Ian Woosnam won the most tournaments, two, and there were 14 first-time winners... |
Canon Greater Hartford Open | Playoff |  Rick FehrRick Fehr Richard Elliott Fehr is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Fehr was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in the state of Washington. As a teenager, Fehr won the Washington State Junior and PGA National Junior tournaments in 1979... , Corey PavinCorey Pavin Corey Allen Pavin is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He spent over 150 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1986 and 1997.-Biography:... |
|
| 2 | May 17, 1992 1992 PGA Tour The 1992 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 1. The season consisted of 44 official money events. John Cook, Fred Couples, and Davis Love III won the most tournaments, three, and there were four first-time winners... |
GTE Byron Nelson Golf Classic | Playoff | Ben Crenshaw Ben Crenshaw Ben Daniel Crenshaw is an American professional golfer.Crenshaw was born in Austin, Texas. He attended and played golf at Austin High School and the University of Texas, where he won three NCAA Championships from 1971 to 1973... , Raymond FloydRaymond Floyd Raymond Loran "Ray" Floyd is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour.... , Bruce LietzkeBruce Lietzke Bruce Alan Lietzke is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments at both the PGA Tour and Champions Tour level.Lietzke was born in Kansas City, Kansas... |
|
| 3 | Jul 20, 1997 1997 PGA Tour The 1997 PGA Tour season was played from January 9 to November 2. The season consisted of 45 official money events. Tiger Woods won the most tournaments, four, and there were six first-time winners. The tournament results, leaders, and award winners are listed below.-Tournament results:The... |
Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic | 1 stroke | Mike Standly Mike Standly Michael Dean Standly is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour.Standly was born in Abilene, Texas. He attended the University of Houston and was a member of the golf team; he was an All-American in 1986, his senior year. He turned pro later that... |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | T42 | T19 | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | T3 | T19 | CUT | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
CUT | CUT | T73 | T40 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.