| Billy Ray Brown | |
| Birth Date: | 5 April 1963 |
| Birth Place: | Missouri City, Texas, U.S. |
| Weight: | 205lb |
| Residence: | Missouri City, Texas, U.S. |
| College: | University of Houston |
| Yearpro: | 1987 |
| Extour: | PGA Tour |
| Prowins: | 3 |
| Pgawins: | 3 |
| Masters: | T19: 1992 |
| Usopen: | T3: 1990 |
| Open: | CUT: 1992 |
| Pga: | T40: 1992 |
William[1] (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[2] and commentator for CBS Sports.[3]
Brown was born, raised, and makes his home in Missouri City, Texas. His father, Charlie Brown,[4] 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.[5] 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.[2]
this list may be incomplete
| 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 | ||
| 3 | Jul 20, 1997 | Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic | 69-66-69-67=271 | −17 | 1 stroke | Mike Standly |
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 | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 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 |