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Bryant win provides Cinderella finish to season

Posted on: Sunday, 6 November 2005, 17:52 CST

By Steve Keating

ATLANTA (Reuters) - American Bart Bryant held his nerve to fire a three-under-par 67 and secure a crushing six-shot victory over Tiger Woods at the Tour Championship on Sunday, providing a Cinderella finish to the U.S. season.

A 42-year-old journeyman who insisted all week he did not belong in golf's elite, Bryant completed a wire-to-wire win for the third PGA Tour title of his career and his second this season.

The unheralded Texan began the limited-field event in masterful style with a course record 62 on Thursday and ended it with an ice-cool final round and a record winning total of 17-under 263 at East Lake Golf Club.

Bryant's surprise victory was worth $1.1 million and almost doubled his earnings over a 19-year-career that has been interrupted by eight visits to the PGA Tour qualifying school.

In an elite field limited to the season's top 30 money earners, he held off all challengers the entire week, including last-day rallies from world number one Woods and defending champion Retief Goosen.

Woods, who could have become golf's first $11 million man with victory, began the day four strokes behind Bryant. He mounted a brief back nine charge but ended up having to settle for a distant second place after carding a 69.

American Scott Verplank also closed with a 69 to finish third at nine under with compatriot Davis Love III (69), world number two Vijay Singh (67) and Goosen a further two strokes back in a tie for fourth.

South African Goosen went into the last day three strokes off Bryant's lead but fell apart on his way to a 74, rekindling unpleasant memories of his final-round U.S. Open meltdown at Pinehurst in June.

Goosen began steadily with six successive pars but then dropped six shots over the next eight holes to plummet down the leaderboard.

Any thoughts that Bryant might succumb to last-day jitters were soon dismissed when he birdied three of the first four holes to stretch his overnight advantage to six shots over Goosen.

Although he suffered a wobble with bogeys on five and six, Bryant steadied himself with solid pars on seven and eight before picking up his fourth shot of the day at the par-five ninth.

Neither Goosen nor U.S. Masters and British Open champion Woods were able to capitalize on Bryant's stutter.

Bryant carried his momentum into East Lake's closing stretch with birdies on 11 and 12, effectively putting the title well beyond the reach of Woods and Goosen.

Source: REUTERS

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