Ever since his craniotomy to remove a benign brain tumor, Gary Woodland has been trying to return to his former self. However, the post-traumatic stress disorder that followed the surgery has posed a significant hurdle. And even though he won the $9.9 million event at Memorial Park Golf Course, he had to overcome several challenges to get there. Fortunately, he had PGA Tour security to assist him during ‘scary’ fan moments.
When Woodland is out swinging the clubs, he isn’t just focused on performing. He’s also fighting his PTSD and trying his best to hide his struggles from the public. But when fans close in, things change for the 5x PGA Tour champion.
“The last 10 holes on Friday, I teed off on nine, and some people behind the ropes got close to me and I got extremely hypervigilant. And I’ll tell you this, if it wasn’t for Tour security and my security, Zach, this week, there’s no way I’m sitting here right now,” he told the world during the press conference present at Texas Children’s Houston Open.
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“I was a wreck the last 10 holes of that day. I got into scoring, Zach got close to me, Tour security was visual so I saw them so they calmed me down.”
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And with that, he was able to get a reset and get back to scoring.
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Also, it’s worth noting that the tumor affected Woodland’s amygdala. It’s the part of the brain that affects fear and anxiety. That’s the reason he got PTSD after his surgery. It brought him panic attacks and subsequent hyperventilation while being hypervigilant and emotional. Even though the procedure helped his seizures, Gary Woodland remains troubled with his mental issues. However, opening up about the issues certainly helped him achieve the well-deserved victory at Memorial Park.
“Coming out, talking, and asking for help, I didn’t do that last year. I didn’t do that early this year. If I wouldn’t ask Tour security, they wouldn’t have been there for me like that. I’m extremely thankful for them,” Woodland acknowledged.
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And it sure paid off.
He opened Thursday with a 6-under 64, carding seven birdies and looking ‘freer than ever.’ In the following round, he fired a career-best 7-under 63, featuring three straight birdies to take a three-shot lead. Then came the third round, where he had a “rocky start” but settled in for a 65 and maintained a one-shot lead over Nicolai Højgaard.
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And while Højgaard faltered with an early double-bogey in the final round, Woodland remained steady, closing with a 67 to win by five strokes. And with this, he will return to Augusta National, where he last played in 2024 but missed the cut.
But what made this win possible was the love and support of his close ones. And it made him realize something important.
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Gary Woodland weighs in on an important realization at the Houston Open
“We play an individual sport out here, but I wasn’t alone today. I’ve got a lot of people behind me, my team, my family, in this golf world. Everybody that’s struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up. Just keep fighting,” Woodland told NBC as he fought back tears right after winning the Houston Open.
The win came after continuous struggles since the beginning of 2024. Even this season, Woodland has made only four out of seven cuts. But a five-shot win over Nicolai Hojgaard brought his efforts to fruition.
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Of course, he seemed proud of himself. But it wouldn’t have happened if he were alone in the battle. He had the backing of his wife, Gabby, his three kids, and numerous peers and fans.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere before this without them. There’s no chance I could do this without Gabby, for sure. This has been hard on me, this has been a lot harder on her. I love her to death,” the 41-year-old remarked.
This is just the beginning of Woodland’s comeback arc. Winning an event after securing only two top-10 finishes in two years has significantly boosted his morale. Now that he’s eligible for teeing it off at Augusta National and the elite events on the PGA Tour, we can expect Gary Woodland to rise even higher.