Pete Brown (February 2, 1935 – May 1, 2015) was an American
professional golfer
A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...
who is best known as the first
African American to win a
PGA Tour event with his win at the
Waco Turner Open.
Early life
Brown was born in
Port Gibson, Mississippi and grew up in
Jackson, Mississippi.
He started in
golf as a caddy at the municipal course in his hometown. He suffered from non-paralytic
polio in the late 1950s but recovered and resumed playing competitive golf.
Career
He turned professional in 1954, winning the Negro National Open consecutively in 1961 and 1962. Brown received his PGA Tour card in 1963.
He was not the first African American to obtain his PGA players card; that honor belonged to
Charlie Sifford
Charles Luther Sifford (June 2, 1922 – February 3, 2015) was an American professional golfer who was the first African American to play on the PGA Tour. He won the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969. He also won the ...
. 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.
Brown played on the
Senior PGA Tour
PGA Tour Champions (formerly the Senior PGA Tour and the Champions Tour) is a men's professional senior golf tour, administered as a branch of the PGA Tour.
History and format
The Senior PGA Championship, founded in 1937, was for many years ...
(now Champions Tour) beginning in 1985. His best finishes were a pair of T-6s in 1985 at the
Senior PGA Tour Roundup
The MONY Arizona Classic was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour from 1984 to 1989. It was played in Sun City West, Arizona at the Hillcrest Golf Club (1984–1988) and in Phoenix, Arizona at the Pointe Golf Club (1989).
The purse for the 1989 ...
and the
MONY Syracuse Senior Classic The MONY Syracuse Senior Classic was a golf tournament on the Champions Tour from 1982 to 1991. It was played in Syracuse, New York at the Bellevue Country Club (1982–1984) and in Jamesville, New York at the Lafayette Country Club (1985–1991).
...
.
In 2021, Brown was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Brown and his wife, Margaret, are the parents of six daughters.
He was the head pro at Madden Golf Course in
Dayton, Ohio for more than 20 years. He lived in
Evans, Georgia from 2012 to 2015.
[
Brown died in Augusta, Georgia on May 1, 2015 at the age of 80.]
Professional wins (14)
PGA Tour wins (2)
PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
Other wins (12)
*Four time USG (Negro) National Open Champion
*Four time Long Star Open Champion
*Three time North & South Champion
*1962 Michigan Open The Michigan Open is the Michigan state open golf tournament, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is organized by the Michigan section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1916 at a variety of courses around the sta ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Pete
American male golfers
African-American golfers
PGA Tour golfers
Golfers from Mississippi
People from Port Gibson, Mississippi
Sportspeople from Jackson, Mississippi
Sportspeople from Dayton, Ohio
People from Evans, Georgia
1935 births
2015 deaths
20th-century African-American sportspeople