Pete Brown had the distinction of being the first black golfer after the repeal of the Caucasian Only clause to win a PGA tour event.
He only had two victories while on the tour, however Brown’s 1964 Waco Turner Open win was a milestone in black golf history.
Brown’s second (and more thrilling) win came six years later at the 1970 San Diego Open at renowned Torrey Pines municipal course when he came from 7 shots back to best Tony Jacklin in a playoff.
Prior to gaining his PGA tour card in 1963 at age 28, Brown was successful in the black run United Golf Association (UGA) tour winning 4 Negro National Opens and 3 North & South Championships.
Winning of any sort was a long shot considering doctors suggested he choose a different sport after contracting Polio at the age of 19 in 1954, a year before the national vaccine mandate.
“I was in bed for a year” he said. “My weight went from 172 pounds down to just over 100. I couldn’t move, couldn’t see, couldn’t swallow. The doctors said, at best, I’d end up in a wheelchair” Brown noted in an interview.
Polio related health problems plagued Brown throughout his life, however his warm personality made him beloved by all knew who him.
“I’ll cherish the time I spent playing with him” Gordon Brown (no relation) noted in an interview. “He knows how to talk to people and knows how to treat people”.
Brown’s career earnings of $214,884 on the PGA Tour were not enough to support him into retirement, and he lived out his final years on the property of Jim Dent; a longtime friend who also played on the UGA and PGA Tours.
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