Pete Brown (February 2, 1935 – May 1, 2015) was an American professional golfer who is best known as the first African American to win a PGA Tour event with his win at the Waco Turner Open.
| Pete Brown | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 2, 1935 Port Gibson, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | May 1, 2015 (aged 80) Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 14 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 14 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 2 |
| Other | 12 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | T33: 1964 |
| U.S. Open | T58: 1969 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Early life
editBrown was born in Port Gibson, Mississippi, and grew up in Jackson, Mississippi.[1] He started in golf as a caddy at the municipal course in his hometown.[2] He suffered from non-paralytic polio in the late 1950s but recovered and resumed playing competitive golf.[3]
Career
editHe turned professional in 1954, winning the Negro National Open consecutively in 1961 and 1962. Brown received his PGA Tour card in 1963.[1] He was not the first African American to obtain his PGA players card; that honor belonged to Charlie Sifford. Brown's victory at the 1964 Waco Turner Open did, however, earn him a place in history as the first African American to win a PGA event. He played on the PGA Tour for 17 years and posted a second tour win at the 1970 Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational in a playoff over Tony Jacklin.[4][5]
Brown played on the Senior PGA Tour (now Champions Tour) beginning in 1985. His best finishes were a pair of T-6s in 1985 at the Senior PGA Tour Roundup and the MONY Syracuse Senior Classic.
Brown was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.[6] [7] [8]
Personal life
editBrown and his wife, Margaret, are the parents of six daughters.[1] He was the head pro at Madden Golf Course in Dayton, Ohio, for more than 20 years.[9] He lived in Evans, Georgia, from 2012 to 2015.[3][10]
Brown died in Augusta, Georgia, on May 1, 2015, at the age of 80.[11]
Professional wins (14)
editPGA Tour wins (2)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 3, 1964 | Waco Turner Open | −8 (71-71-68-70=280) | 1 stroke | |
| 2 | Feb 1, 1970 | Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational | −13 (76-67-67-65=275) | Playoff |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1964 | Almaden Open Invitational | Casper won with birdie on third extra hole after 18 hole playoff; Casper: −4 (68), Brown: −4 (68), Steelsmith: +1 (73) | |
| 2 | 1970 | Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational | Won with par on first extra hole |
Other wins (12)
edit- Four time USG (Negro) National Open Champion
- Four time Long Star Open Champion
- Three time North & South Champion
- 1962 Michigan Open
References
edit- ^ a b c "The first African American to Win a PGA Event". afrogolf.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ "Remembering the old UGA tour". Black Enterprise. September 1997. Archived from the original on February 28, 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ a b McAllister, Mike (April 29, 2014). "Breakthrough at Burneyville". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ "Golf Tournament Honorees". Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Kelley, Brent. "PGA Tour Buick Invitational". about.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ "Pete Brown: Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Inductee for Golf". Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Cleveland, Rick (October 22, 2019). "His wife says Pete Brown, finally recognized at home, is smiling down, saying 'Amen!'". Mississippi Today.
- ^ "Wyatt Emmerich: Sports hall of fame was a great event". August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Pete Brown, First African-American To Win A PGA Event, Believes In The Big Stik Driver" (Press release). Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Bamberger, Michael (April 8, 2014). "After a hardscrabble life as a Tour journeyman, Augusta's own Jim Dent hit it big and paid it forward". Golf.com. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
- ^ Livsey, Laury (May 1, 2015). "Brown passes away at age 80". PGA Tour. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
External links
edit- Pete Brown at the PGA Tour official site