Atlanta ? Bart Bryant is starting to believe he can compete with the best. If his victory at the Memorial wasn’t enough to convince him, the course-record 62 he shot Thursday at East Lake should do the trick.

A career grinder and late bloomer, the 42-year-old Bryant made the most of his Tour Championship debut by missing only two fairways and two greens, and making one spectacular par save that gave him a two-shot lead over defending champion Retief Goosen.

Kenny Perry bogeyed the last two holes for a 65, while Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia were at 66.

Woods was at 5 under through eight holes and was poised to shoot 29 on the front until failing to convert an easy up-and-down for birdie from the bunker. He struggled the rest of the way, but had few complaints.

Bryant had nothing to complain about, either.

Bart Bryant hits from the sand on the 17th hole. Bryant shot a 62 in the Tour Championship on Thursday in Atlanta.

He must have known it was his day when he faced an awkward stance left of the 17th green – set up by one of his few mediocre shots – and was hopeful of getting the chip within 10 feet. Instead, Bryant’s shot banged into the pin and rattled the cup before settling a tap-in distance away.

“I almost felt like apologizing after that one,” he said.

Bryant wound up breaking by one shot the record set by Vijay Singh in the first round in 1998.

And it was further proof that Bryant, who has gone through three injuries and a half-dozen trips to Q-school, belongs with the other top 28 players on the money list at this Tour Championship.

“I don’t think I’ll ever believe it in my head,” Bryant said. “People try to pound it in my head, ‘You belong, you belong.’ If I go out and shoot three more 62s, maybe I’ll believe it.”