Golf story by Georgina Scane, Wed, 09 Nov 2005 14:04:00 GMT


Bart Bryant pipped Tiger at the post by six strokes on Sunday to win the Tour Championship in the last official PGA event of the year.

42-year-old Bryant shot a 3-under-par 67 and finished on top of the table with a record score, 17-under-par 263. It beats Phil Mickelson's mark of 267 set in 2000. Bryant's victory lap began with a course-record 62 on Thursday and he wrapped it up with style on Sunday. It is the second-largest margin of victory of 2005, which was next only to Kenny Perry's seven-stroke win at the Colonial.

Bryant said: "I feared choking my guts out all week long. I didn't think I could make it into the Tour Championship, and I certainly didn't think I could win the Tour Championship."

Bryant earns $1.17 million, more than any in his 12 year play on the Tour. The surprise win almost doubled his earnings in a career spanning 19 years.

The modest Texan insisted all week he did not belong in golf's elite only to prove himself wrong. He said: “I certainly don't put myself in the same category with Retief (Goosen) and Vijay (Singh) and Davis Love and Tiger Woods.

He may be 30 yards shorter off the tee than the longest players, but he was first in hitting fairways and greens. His claw-style putting grip and great swing have made him find his best touch in a long time.

Goosen in an attempt to become the first back-to-back winner of the Tour Championship had to settle for a fourth-place tie with Singh and Love. Scott Verplank shot 69 and was third at 271.

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