Mark Brooks (golfer)
A gritty PGA Tour journeyman who seized his moment in the spotlight, capturing a major championship at the 1996 PGA in a dramatic playoff.
Born 1961 (age 65)·American professional golfer·Birthday: March 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mark Brooks crafted a solid, workmanlike career on the PGA Tour, known more for his consistency than flamboyance, until one electric Sunday at Valhalla Golf Club. The left-hander from Texas turned professional in 1983 and steadily accumulated wins, building a reputation as a reliable ball-striker. His career-defining achievement came at the 1996 PGA Championship, where he birdied the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Kentucky favorite Kenny Perry, then won on the first extra hole. That major victory was the pinnacle of a seven-win PGA Tour career that showcased his resilience. Brooks was a player who maximized his talent through preparation and grit, often flying under the radar in an era of more charismatic stars. In his later years, he transitioned to the PGA Tour Champions, continuing to compete with the same straightforward, no-nonsense approach that characterized his game for decades.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Mark was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mark Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Mark's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, defeating Kenny Perry in a sudden-death playoff.
- Accumulated seven victories on the PGA Tour over a career spanning more than two decades.
- Represented the United States in the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama, Spain.
- Finished in the top 10 of the PGA Tour money list in both 1996 and 1997.
- Has competed on the PGA Tour Champions, the circuit for golfers over 50.
Did You Know?
He is one of the few left-handed golfers to have won a men's major championship.
He attended the University of Texas at Austin and was a teammate of PGA Tour player Brandel Chamblee.
His victory at the 1996 PGA Championship was his only major title.
He served as a golf analyst for ESPN following his active playing days.
He designed the golf course at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club in McKinney, Texas.
“You win a major by controlling your ball and your nerves, nothing more.”
