| Billy Ray Brown | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 5, 1963 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, and a current on course reporter for Golf Channel[3] and commentator for CBS Sports.[4]
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]
- ^ "Week 20 1992 Ending 17 May 1992" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "Billy Ray Brown". Golf Channel.
- ^ "Masters Live on CBSSports.com Returns for 2013 Masters". CBS Sports. April 3, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
- ^ Birth record for William Ray Brown, Texas Birth Index, 1903–1997. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
- ^ "Golf Major Championships". Retrieved January 22, 2008.