Bart Bryant, who won three times on the PGA Tour, was killed in a Florida car crash in which his stopped car was rear-ended by a pickup truck.
Bryant, 59, and his wife were stopped in a line of traffic on a two-lane road in central Florida when a teen in an F-150 pickup rear-ended his car at high speed. His wife, Donna, 49, who was in the car, was injured. The driver of the truck was not hurt in the Tuesday afternoon crash.
Bryant won on Tour three times, including at the Memorial, which is being held this weekend at Muirfield Village in Ohio.
His brother Brad also played and won on the PGA Tour. Both competed in the 2008 U.S. Open. The two men grew up in Alamogordo. Bart played for New Mexico State University and Brad played for the University of New Mexico.
“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,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “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.”
In 2005, he held off Fred Couples to win the Memorial, saving par from a creek on the 18th hole at Muirfield Village. At the PGA Tour Championship at East Lake to end the year, he opened with a 62 and won by six shots over Tiger Woods. That remains the most shots Woods finished behind as a runner-up.
The Golf Writers Association of America awarded Bart Bryant the Ben Hogan Award in 2006 for staying active in golf despite physical setbacks.
Staff and wire reports
