Brent Franklin
Encyclopedia
Brent Franklin is a former Canadian
professional golf
er.
, Ontario
. He was coached in golf by Jack McLaughlin as a youth, and first came to prominence when he won the 1981 Vancouver
City Match Play Championship as a 15-year-old amateur, to become the youngest champion ever in that event. The tournament is open to all professionals and top amateurs in the Lower Mainland
region.
Franklin won the 1983 and 1984 Canadian Junior Championships. He earned a golf scholarship to Brigham Young University
. He won the 1985 Alberta
Amateur Championship.
Franklin then won three straight Canadian Amateur Championship
s, from 1985 to 1987. He was a member of the Canadian team which won the 1986 Eisenhower Trophy
, the World Amateur Team Championship, in Venezuela
, along with Warren Sye
, Jack Kay Jr., and Mark Brewer.
Franklin earned three All-American selections in golf at BYU: 1985 Honorable Mention, 1986 First Team, and 1987 Second Team.
Franklin turned professional, and won the 1988 Canadian PGA Championship
. That gave him a national championship in Canada at ever-rising levels for seven consecutive seasons. He was selected as Rookie of the Year on the 1988 Canadian Professional Golf Tour
, and many thought he would become the next Canadian star on the PGA Tour
.
Franklin then moved to the Japan Golf Tour
for several years, and posted several strong finishes, including four runner-up results, earning very good prize money. He played 112 Japanese events between 1989 and 1995, and won a total of ¥
140,307,935. He did not win a tournament, but tied for first place, then lost the playoff to Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki
at the 1992 Dunlop Open.
Franklin's world ranking peaked at #124 at the end of the 1992 season.
Franklin was planning to move to the PGA Tour after 1995. But, when cycling in Vancouver, he was hit by a transport truck, and was seriously injured. Franklin was able to recover, and for a time played on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour, trying to regain his earlier form, but was never able to approach the level he had shown earlier.
Franklin was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
in 2010.
Franklin currently works as a club professional in Colorado
.
Amateur
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional 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....
er.
Biography
Franklin was born in BarrieBarrie
Barrie may refer to:* Barrie, city in Ontario, Canada* Barrie , Canadian federal electoral district* Barrie , provincial electoral district* Barrie—Simcoe—Bradford, former Canadian electoral district...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He was coached in golf by Jack McLaughlin as a youth, and first came to prominence when he won the 1981 Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
City Match Play Championship as a 15-year-old amateur, to become the youngest champion ever in that event. The tournament is open to all professionals and top amateurs in the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
region.
Franklin won the 1983 and 1984 Canadian Junior Championships. He earned a golf scholarship to Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. He won the 1985 Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
Amateur Championship.
Franklin then won three straight Canadian Amateur Championship
Canadian Amateur Championship
The Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995...
s, from 1985 to 1987. He was a member of the Canadian team which won the 1986 Eisenhower Trophy
Eisenhower Trophy
The Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
, the World Amateur Team Championship, in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, along with Warren Sye
Warren Sye
Warren Sye is a Canadian amateur golfer who has won several important championships.-Biography:Sye was born Toronto, Ontario. He began playing at a young age at the Weston Golf Club in Toronto, where his father, a low-handicap player, had a membership. He attended the University of Houston on a...
, Jack Kay Jr., and Mark Brewer.
Franklin earned three All-American selections in golf at BYU: 1985 Honorable Mention, 1986 First Team, and 1987 Second Team.
Franklin turned professional, and won the 1988 Canadian PGA Championship
Canadian PGA Championship
The PGA Championship of Canada is a golf tournament organized by the PGA of Canada. It was first played in 1912 as the Canadian PGA Championship. It was a Nationwide Tour event from 2001 to 2005. It was also an event on the Canadian Tour. Stan Leonard holds the record with eight victories...
. That gave him a national championship in Canada at ever-rising levels for seven consecutive seasons. He was selected as Rookie of the Year on the 1988 Canadian Professional Golf Tour
Canadian Professional Golf Tour
The Canadian Professional Golf Tour is a men's professional golf tour headquartered in Oakville, Ontario. It was formally started in 1970 and was initially known as the Peter Jackson Tour....
, and many thought he would become the next Canadian star 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...
.
Franklin then moved to the Japan Golf Tour
Japan Golf Tour
The Japan Golf Tour is a prominent golf tour. It was founded in 1973 and as of 2006 it offers the third highest annual prize fund out of the regular men's professional tours after the PGA Tour and the European Tour. However since the early 1990s, the growth in prize money has not kept pace with...
for several years, and posted several strong finishes, including four runner-up results, earning very good prize money. He played 112 Japanese events between 1989 and 1995, and won a total of ¥
Japanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
140,307,935. He did not win a tournament, but tied for first place, then lost the playoff to Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki
Masashi Ozaki
is a Japanese professional golfer. Ozaki is often known as Jumbo Ozaki on account of his height and length off the tee. He featured in the top ten of the Official World Golf Rankings for almost 200 weeks between 1989 and 1998...
at the 1992 Dunlop Open.
Franklin's world ranking peaked at #124 at the end of the 1992 season.
Franklin was planning to move to the PGA Tour after 1995. But, when cycling in Vancouver, he was hit by a transport truck, and was seriously injured. Franklin was able to recover, and for a time played on the Canadian Professional Golf Tour, trying to regain his earlier form, but was never able to approach the level he had shown earlier.
Franklin was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum and hall of fame covering the history of the game of golf in Canada, and celebrating the careers and accomplishments of the most significant contributors to the game in that country...
in 2010.
Franklin currently works as a club professional in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
Amateur wins
- 1983 Canadian Junior Amateur, British Columbia Junior Boys, Vancouver and District Junior, Vancouver Match Play
- 1984 Canadian Junior Amateur, British Columbia Junior Boys
- 1985 Canadian Amateur ChampionshipCanadian Amateur ChampionshipThe Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995...
, Alberta Amateur - 1986 Canadian Amateur ChampionshipCanadian Amateur ChampionshipThe Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995...
- 1987 Canadian Amateur ChampionshipCanadian Amateur ChampionshipThe Canadian Amateur Championship, begun in 1895, is the men's amateur golf championship of Canada. It is staged annually by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It was played at match play until 1968, went to stroke play beginning in 1969, and reverted to match play in 1995...
Team appearances
this list may be incompleteAmateur
- Eisenhower TrophyEisenhower TrophyThe Eisenhower Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. It is named for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the President of the United States when the tournament was first played, who was a keen amateur golfer. Recent tournaments have...
(representing Canada): 1986 (winners)