Tour Championship: American journeyman Bart Bryant upstaged world number one Tiger Woods by cruising to a six-shot victory in the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia, yesterday.

The 42-year-old Texan, who began the day with a three-shot cushion, fired a three-under-par 67 at East Lake Golf Club to secure the third PGA Tour title of his career.

Playing in the Tour finale for the first time, Bryant completed a wire-to-wire triumph with a 72-hole total of 17-under 263 with 1999 winner Woods having to settle for a distant second place after carding a 69.

Defending champion Retief Goosen, who went into the final day three strokes off the lead, fell apart with a closing 74 and slipped into a three-way tie for fourth with Vijay Singh (67) and Davis Love III (69) at seven under while Padraig Harrington was a shot further back on 273 after a final round of 69.

Bryant, who began the day with a three-shot cushion, mixed four birdies with two bogeys to reach the turn in two-under-par 33 and at 16 under overall.

Any thoughts that Bryant might succumb to last-day jitters were soon dismissed when he birdied three of the first four holes to stretch his advantage to six shots over South African Goosen.

Although he suffered a wobble with bogeys on five and six, Bryant steadied himself with solid pars on seven and eight before picking up his fourth of the day at the par-five ninth.

Goosen, trying to become the first back-to-back winner of the PGA Tour season finale, reached the turn at even par while Woods was slow to mount a charge, reeling off eight straight pars before collecting his first birdie at the ninth.

Goosen and Woods were locked at 11 under in a tie for second place.

Bryant has maintained all week that he does not fit in among the 29 players that make up the tournament's elite field but once again on Saturday his play said something different.

Opening his round in style with a birdie at the first, he played error-free golf in a controlled front nine, picking up shots at seven and nine before carding his first bogey of the day - and just his fourth of the week - at the par-four 13th.

Harrington finished in a share of seventh place after a final round of 69 left him on six-under-par 274.

Out in level par 35 with bogeys at the fourth and fifth being cancelled out with birdies at the seventh and eighth, Harrington dropped another shot at the 10th but three birdies at the 12th, 15th and 17th took the Irishman to seven under for the tournament. However, he spoiled a good finished when he found sand off his tee-shot at the last to drop a shot and finish on one under par 69.

(USA unless stated, par 70):

263 - Bart Bryant 62 68 66 67.

269 - Tiger Woods 66 67 67 69.

271 - Scott Verplank 67 66 69 69.

273 - Vijay Singh (Fiji) 69 69 68 67, Davis Love III 68 71 65 69, Retief Goosen (RSA) 64 66 69 74.

274 - Padraig Harrington (Irl) 71 66 68 69, Adam Scott (Aus) 73 69 65 67, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 70 65 71 68, Ben Crane 68 65 72 69.

275 - Mark Calcavecchia 72 69 68 66.

276 - Sean O'Hair 73 73 64 66.

277 - Jim Furyk 70 70 67 70.

278 - Tim Herron 73 68 71 66, Olin Browne 70 67 71 70, Luke Donald (Eng) 70 67 70 71.

279 - Chad Campbell 72 68 70 69, Ted Purdy 71 69 69 70, Chris DiMarco 69 72 67 71.

281 - Kenny Perry 65 73 71 72, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 66 72 71 72.

282 - David Toms 72 72 68 70, Tim Clark (RSA) 67 67 72 76.

283 - Billy Mayfair 72 69 71 71, Fred Funk 71 72 70 70, Charles Howell III 67 68 70 78.

284 - Brandt Jobe 73 71 70 70.

287 - Justin Leonard 70 74 71 72.

289 - Lucas Glover 72 70 73 74.

Final Totals