Pro golfer Bart Bryant killed in Central Florida accident

POLK CITY, Fla. — Golfer Bart Bryant, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, died Tuesday in a car accident in Florida, tour officials said. He was 59.

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Bryant was killed when a truck struck his SUV while he was stopped with other vehicles in the Central Florida town of Polk City while waiting for a construction crew, authorities said.

According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Bryant’s SUV was stopped at the construction site near an intersection, ESPN reported. A truck traveling in the same direction failed to see the stopped vehicle and slammed into it.

Bryant was unresponsive when emergency personnel arrived, according to The Associated Press. His wife, Donna, 49, also was in the vehicle and was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in an emailed statement to the news outlet.

Bryant won his first PGA Tour event in 2004 when he was 41, capturing the Valero Texas Open, PGATour.com reported. It was his 187th start on the tour.

In 2005, Bryant won the Memorial Tournament and the Tour Championship, tour officials said.

He edged Fred Couples by a shot and beat Tiger Woods by four to win the Memorial, according to the Golf Channel. He beat Woods by six shots to win the Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club, the outlet reported.

“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,” 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.”

The golfer’s brother, Brad Bryant, won the 1995 Walt Disney World Classic, making the Bryants one of 12 sets of brothers to win on the PGA Tour, ESPN reported.

Bart Bryant, who was born in Gatesville, Texas, and turned pro in 1986, won two tournaments on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, winning the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in 2013 and 2018.

Bryant had rotator cuff surgery in 1992 and also had surgery on both elbows, ESPN reported.

He was awarded the Ben Hogan Award by the Golf Writers Association of America in 2006 for staying active in golf despite physical setbacks.

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