Bryant Locks Up Tour Title With 67

Bart Bryant wondered if he belonged with the elite players at the Tour Championship in Atlanta. He wound up leaving them in the dust, closing with a three-under-par 67 on Sunday in a record performance that capped a remarkable year.

Bryant birdied his first two holes to open a six-shot lead and led by at least four shots the rest of the way around East Lake, winning by six shots over Tiger Woods to take the $1.17-million prize, more money than he won in his first 18 years as a pro.

Bryant, 42, got up and down from behind the 18th green for par to finish at 17-under 263 and break by four shots the 72-hole record at the Tour Championship set five years ago at East Lake by Phil Mickelson. His victory margin matched the largest, set by Tom Lehman at Southern Hills in 1996.

Woods had three birdies in a four-hole stretch to give himself a chance, but the best he could do was a 69 to finish at 11-under 269. Woods earned $715,000 and finished his six-win season, including two majors, with $10.6 million.

Scott Verplank shot 69 and finished at 271.

Retief Goosen, trying to become the first consecutive winner of the Tour Championship, never found his swing and bogeyed four of the first five holes on the back nine, sending him to a 74.

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Heath Slocum shot a six-under 66 for a two-stroke victory in the Southern Farm Bureau Classic at Madison, Miss.

With his father, former Mississippi club pro Jack Slocum, as his caddie, Slocum finished at 21-under 267.

Slocum and Loren Roberts were tied at 20 under after 16 holes.

After knocking his second shot nine feet from the pin, Slocum birdied the par-four, 413-yard hole.

Roberts (68) and Carl Pettersson (67) were two strokes behind at 269. Joey Snyder III, a rookie who led after three rounds, shot 70 and finished at 270.