Three-time PGA Tour winner dies in Polk County crash
AKRON, OH - JULY 12: Bart Bryant plays his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the PGA TOUR Champions Bridgestone SENIOR PLAYERS Championship at Firestone Country Club on July 12, 2019 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR v
POLK CITY, Fla. - Polk County deputies say 59-year-old Bart Bryant died after a pickup truck rear-ended his vehicle.
According to the sheriff's office, the three-time PGA Tour champion, stopped for construction, but another driver failed to notice. The collision occurred around 2:20 p.m. Tuesday near State Road 33 and Flanders Station Drive in Polk City.
When first responders arrived, they said Bryant was found unresponsive and began CPR. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he passed away.
His wife, Donna, was also transported to a hospital with minor injuries.
Provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office
Investigators said the construction zone was overseen by flaggers, who had flags, cones and signs. At the time of the crash, they halted both directions of traffic on SR-33. Bryant's Volkswagen was the last vehicle in line stopped in the southbound lane.
That's when a black 2011 Ford F-150, driven by a 21-year-old man from Clermont, was traveling at the highway's speed and failed to stop, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
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The Clermont driver was injured, and it is "unknown at this time why [the driver] did not see the stopped SUV," officials said in a news release.
Bryant's career includes his 2005 win when he famously beat Tiger Woods by six strokes. He won all of his Tour victories after the age of 40. Injuries plagued the better part of his early career.
CARY, NC - OCTOBER 14: Bart Bryant watches his tee shot on the second hole during the second round of the SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club on October 14, 2017 in Cary, North Carolina. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
His best year, when he reached his highest world ranking (No.22), came in 2005 when he won both the Tour Championship and Memorial Tournament.
His first win on the PGA Tour came just a year earlier, when he won the Valero Texas Open after beating Patrick Sheehan by three strokes. Bryant won his first Champions Tour Event in 2013 at the Dick’s Sport Goods Open, becoming the 1,000th winner in Champions Tour history.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan released a statement on Wednesday following Bryant’s passing.
"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," Monahan said. "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."
Bryant is survived by his wife Donna, daughters Kristen and Michelle, and his stepchildren. His first wife, Cathy, died in 2017, 11 months after being diagnosed with brain cancer.
FOX News contributed to this report