His Return to Golf Pays Off for Bryant

When Brad Bryant walked away from professional golf in 1999, smoking cigars became a significant part of his retirement plan.

A year and a half after he returned to tournament play, he found a way to make that vice taste even sweeter: a victory cigar.

Bryant made a nine-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Sunday to finish at five-under-par 66 in the final round of the Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach Country Club. His three-day total of nine-under 204 gave him a one-shot victory over Bobby Wadkins, John Harris and defending champion Mark Johnson.

It was the first Champions Tour victory for Bryant, 51, who made a deal with his wife to retire at 45 and did so after a 20-year PGA Tour career that included one victory and more than $3.5 million in earnings.

He returned to golf, he said, partly because “things have really gotten expensive” and “the income stream went down really fast.”

The $247,500 he pocketed Sunday should help, considering it is the largest payday of his career, surpassing the $216,000 he earned in winning the 1995 Walt Disney World Classic.

“It’s very special ... anytime you win,” Bryant said. “About eight months after I first quit, I really felt like I would not play anymore. I was really having a great time. I was enjoying my life. I was on a first-name basis with the waitresses at Pizza Hut. It was great.”

A couple of events changed his mind. First, his brother, Bart, won on the PGA Tour at the end of 2004 and that inspired him. Second, Bryant ran into Tony Smith, a former assistant pro at East Lake Country Club in Atlanta who Bryant thought would make a perfect caddie.

Then there was a meeting with his financial planner, who informed Bryant of the rising costs of college for Bryant’s sons, ages 15 and 13.

“I had enough money to take care of my wife and children, but if I wanted to do anything -- fish, hunt, smoke a cigar, whatever -- I had to pay for it,” Bryant said.

Sunday, Bryant took care of things on the back nine. He started with 10 consecutive pars and was three behind the leading quartet of Wadkins, Harris, Johnson and Vicente Fernandez, who were one clear of a tightly bunched field at seven under.

Bryant then made three consecutive birdies on Nos. 11-13 and was in a five-way tie for second at seven under, one shot behind Wadkins, who birdied No. 15.

Bryant birdied No. 15 to tie for the lead and remained tied as he arrived at the par-five 18th. After ripping a 287-yard drive -- “the best drive of my life,” Bryant said -- he laced a one iron into the back bunker, blasted out and made the birdie putt.

“I had never been in that position,” said Bryant, whose PGA Tour victory came in a rain-shortened event. “My heart was going really fast. I was really having a hard time maintaining my composure.”

At the time, it was only for the lead. Bryant played five groups ahead of the second-round leaders, so he postponed his celebration and watched Harris, Johnson and Fernandez each miss final-hole putts that would have forced a playoff.

Bryant said it was a special feeling being back in the winner’s circle and that it was worth ending his retirement to be among the friends with whom he has competed throughout his life.

Plus one important fringe benefit.

“One of the really nice things about being on this tour is that there are several guys that get cigars for free -- and they share,” he said.

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Peter Jacobsen withdrew before the round because of a sore knee. Jacobsen said he intends to have synthetic cartilage injections in hopes of avoiding knee replacement.