Bart Bryant, a pro golfer who won three PGA Tour events in his career, died on Tuesday, the PGA Tour announced. He was 59 years old. It was revealed that Bryant died in a car accident. This comes five years after Bryant’s wife, Cathy, died from brain cancer, 11 months after her diagnosis.
“The PGA TOUR is saddened by the tragic passing of Bart Bryant and our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “The Bryants have been a part of the PGA TOUR family for over four decades and we are grateful for the impact and legacy he made on our organization and countless communities. Bart will be dearly missed.”
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Bryant won his first PGA Tour event at 41 when he placed first at the 2004 Valero Texas Open in his 187th start. In 2005, Bryant won the Memorial Tournament and the Tour Championship where he beat Tiger Woods. The Tour Championship was a big win for Bryant because Wood won two majors that year.
“I certainly don’t put myself in the same category as Retief (Goosen) and Vijay (Singh) and Davis Love and Tiger Woods,” Bryant said at the time. “I mean, these guys are the elite players in the world. … But I have found out that if I’m on top of my game under the right conditions, I definitely can compete with these guys.”
Bryant turned pro in 1986 after competing at New Mexico State where he was a two-time All-American. In his rookie season, Bryant finished 124th on the money list. He was on and off the PGA Tour as he played six full seasons between 1991 and 2003. “Things got so bad in the middle ’90s that I never bothered going to qualifying school,” Bryant said after his win at East Lake. “As long as I was able to feed my family on what I was making on the mini-tour, I was OK.”
When it comes to the majors, Bryant’s best finish was at The Open Championship in 2005 where he finished tied for 23rd. He also finished tied for 29th at the U.S. Open in 2008. Overall, Bryant won eight professional golf events, including the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in 2013 and 2018, which is part of the PGA Tour Champions.
