Quick Facts
Biography
Carlos Daniel Franco (born 24 May 1965) is a Paraguayan professional golfer. He is the brother of golfer Angel Franco.
Franco was born in Asunción, Paraguay. He comes from a poor background and grew up in a one-room, dirt-floor home. His father was a greenkeeper and caddy, and he has five brothers, all of whom became golf professionals. Carlos turned professional in 1986 and has played in many parts of the world. He has won more than twenty tournaments in Latin America, and from 1994 to 1999 he won five times on the Japan Golf Tour. He also claimed the 1994 Philippine Open title on the Asian Tour. He first played on the U.S. based PGA Tour in 1999 and was fully exempt until 2006. He was the first rookie to surpass $1 million in earnings in a season and won the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year title. He won four times on the PGA Tour. He has featured in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings.
After struggling to stay on the PGA Tour, Franco also played on the Web.com Tour and PGA Tour Latinoamérica. Franco joined the Champions Tour after turning 50.
Professional wins (24)
PGA Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 May 1999 | Compaq Classic of New Orleans | −19 (66-69-68-66=269) | 2 strokes |  Steve Flesch, Harrison Frazar |
| 2 | 11 Jul 1999 | Greater Milwaukee Open | −16 (65-66-67-66=264) | 2 strokes | Tom Lehman |
| 3 | 7 May 2000 | Compaq Classic of New Orleans | −18 (67-67-68-68=270) | Playoff | Blaine McCallister |
| 4 | 25 Jul 2004 | U.S. Bank in Milwaukee | −13 (68-63-69-67=267) | 2 strokes | Fred Funk, Brett Quigley |
PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2000 | Compaq Classic of New Orleans | Blaine McCallister | Won with par on second extra hole |
Japan Golf Tour wins (5)
- 1994 Jun Classic
- 1995 Sapporo Tokyu Open
- 1996 ANA Open
- 1998 Just System KSB Open, Fujisankei Classic
Asian Tour wins (1)
- 1994 Philippine Open
PGA Tour Champions wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | To par | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 Sep 2016 | Shaw Charity Classic | 66-63-63=192 | −18 | 2 strokes | Michael Allen,  Bernhard Langer |
Other wins (13)
- 1985 Chile Open
- 1986 Chaco Open (Argentina)
- 1987 Asunción Open (Paraguay)
- 1990 Norpatagonico Open (Argentina)
- 1991 Daytron Cup (Paraguay)
- 1992 Paraguay Open
- 1993 Los Leones Open (Chile), Uruguay Open, Asunción Open (Paraguay)
- 2000 Paraguay Open
- 2001 Brazil Open
- 2003 Brazil Open
- 2004 Center Open (Argentina)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T6 | T7 | 46 | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT |
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T34 | T61 | CUT | DNP | DNP | WD | CUT |
| The Open Championship | CUT | DNP | DNP | DNP | T64 | CUT | CUT | T54 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T40 | T26 | T58 | T29 | DNP | T18 | T31 | T59 |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied
Yellow background for top-10.
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 14 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 4 (1998 Open Championship – 1999 U.S. Open)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)
Team appearances
- Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing Paraguay): 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999
- World Cup (representing Paraguay): 1992, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
- Presidents Cup (International Team): 1998 (winners), 2000