2,478 days since his last win. 908 days since brain tumor surgery changed his life. 20 days after opening up about the battle that followed. Gary Woodland is hoisting a trophy again. The scene on the 18th hole Sunday was unlike any we’ve seen on the PGA Tour. Woodland stepped up to the 18th tee possessing a four-shot lead over 25-year-old Dane, Nicolai Højgaard. Woodland’s tee shot landed in the left rough, leaving him 168 yards into a stiff Houston breeze. His shot finished in the rough long left of the green, but it was what happened next that provided the best moment of the day. “Gary! Gary! Gary!” the crowd chanted, as playing partners Min Woo Lee and Nicolai Højgaard joined in, letting the noise swell.
Hell yeah, @Minwoo27Lee. 👏👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/nm3OKjactF
— Skratch (@Skratch) March 29, 2026
Woodland and his caddie, Butchie, walked up in what can only be described as a moment of pure bliss. Woodland chipped it to five feet. Højgaard and Lee finished their putts soon after, leaving the floor open for Woodland. The five-footer had eyes on the center of the cup the entire way, and Gary Woodland was a champion again.
Yet 2,478 days ago, Woodland earned his crown jewel, a U.S. Open victory at Pebble Beach. Life was so simple for Gary, as he and his wife welcomed twins just two months later, all while he was playing some of the best golf of his life, making 24 of 27 cuts, including two solo second-place finishes on top of his U.S. Open victory.
The next three years were as solid as they come for him. He recorded 14 top-10 finishes, making 39 of 65 cuts. The 2022–2023 season started off well for him, as he made 10 of 13 cuts, highlighted by two top-10s as well as a T14 finish at The Masters. Just a few weeks later, though, everything started to change.
He started to develop jolts and tremors that awoke him from his sleep, first starting at the Mexico Open. Yet the physical symptoms were minuscule compared to the anxiety that followed.
“A lot of fear, and that was the one that scared me the most. I’m a very optimistic person, and I was very fear-driven every day, mostly around death. As it got worse, loss of appetite, chills, fatigue. I got an MRI, and it came back with a lesion. It looked like a tumor on my brain.” (Woodland stated in a press conference at the 2024 Sony Open)
All of his newfound symptoms were caused by a lesion on the part of the brain that causes fear and anxiety. Fortunately, the lesion was non-cancerous. Despite this, brain surgery would be the only cure. Still, he continued playing, making seven of his next nine cuts.
The day finally came. On September 18, 2023, Gary Woodland underwent brain surgery. The surgery was successful, with doctors removing nearly all of the lesion, leaving only a small portion due to its proximity to critical vision and hearing functions.
Just three months removed from his surgery, he returned to the PGA Tour at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Fans welcomed him back with open arms, happy to see him healthy and past his struggles. He would go on to have the worst start of his career, missing seven of his first 11 cuts, with his best finish being a T22 at the Houston Open. He finished the season with just three top-25 finishes, missing 11 of 26 cuts in one of the worst seasons of his career.
Although the surgery was a success, Gary would unfortunately be trading one disease for another. Soon after his surgery, he was diagnosed with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) as a result of the procedure. The interview seemed great, like everything was looking up, like the light was at the end of the tunnel. The light, however, was just another train Gary had to take to get out of the tunnel.
The train of PTSD, which he kept silent about until his recent interview with Rex Hoggard. The interview was an immense show of strength. 53% of men don’t speak up about health issues to their doctors, much less the world. He showed an amazing display of strength in what he described as a massive weight off his back. He opened up about how he still deals with it, as he was just diagnosed a year ago.
Gary Woodland sits down with Rex Hoggard to discuss his struggle with PTSD following brain surgery in September of 2023. pic.twitter.com/zf7A3EFulk
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 10, 2026
“Every week I hear, it’s so nice to see you past this, it’s so nice to see you 100 percent, and I appreciate that love and support, but inside I feel like I’m dying.”
Woodland followed up the interview with a T14 at the Valspar Championship, rounding into form at a course that speaks to his game unlike any other. Woodland finished solo second at last year’s Houston Open. Then it happened.
Woodland’s breakthrough victory came in Houston, at a tournament sponsored by a hospital that creates miracles, Houston Children’s.
Woodland’s final-hole message was nothing short of inspiring:
“Anybody that’s struggling with something, I hope they see me, and don’t give up, just keep fighting.”
"We play an individual sport but I wasn't alone today."
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 29, 2026
An emotional Gary Woodland reflects on his win only a few years removed from brain surgery. pic.twitter.com/jflXsA3AcR
Yet, Woodland’s story is still being written, and his PTSD journey is far from over. Still, his victory brought tears to the eyes of thousands, and will continue to inspire thousands more.
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