ATLANTA, Nov 7: American Bart Bryant held his nerve to fire a three-under-par 67 and secure a crushing six-shot victory over Tiger Woods at the Tour Championship on Sunday, providing a Cinderella finish to the US season.

A 42-year-old journeyman who insisted all week he did not belong in golf’s elite, Bryant completed a wire-to-wire win for the third PGA Tour title of his career and his second this season.

The unheralded Texan began the limited-field event in masterful style with a course record 62 on Thursday and ended it with an ice-cool final round and a record winning total of 17-under 263.

Bryant’s surprise victory was worth $1.1 million and almost doubled his earnings over a 19-year-career that has been interrupted by eight visits to the PGA Tour qualifying school.

In an elite field limited to the season’s top 30 money earners, he held off all challengers the entire week, including last-day rallies from world number one Woods and defending champion Retief Goosen.

Woods, who could have become golf’s first $11 million man with victory, began the day four strokes behind Bryant. He mounted a brief back nine charge but ended up having to settle for a distant second place after carding a 69.

Leading final round scores: