Brooks was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a three-time All-American as a member of the golf team. He turned professional in 1983.

Brooks has seven wins on the PGA Tour, including one major, the 1996 PGA Championship. He was a member of the U.S. Presidents Cup team in 1996. He has the record for the most PGA TOUR starts with 803.

During his thirties, Brooks began a second career in golf course design, and was a partner in the firm of Knott-Linn-Brooks House based in Palo Alto, California. His first major project, the Southern Oaks Golf Club outside Fort Worth, opened in 1999 and was highly acclaimed.

After his 50th birthday in 2011, Brooks joined the PGA TOUR Champions and made 212 cuts out of 216 starts. In 2015, Brooks was hired by Fox Sports as an on-course analyst for the network's U.S. Open coverage.

Mark and his wife, Cynthia, live in Austin, Texas.

Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas

Born: March 25, 1961