Gary Woodland, Relieved After Revealing PTSD Battle, in Valspar Championship Hunt

The 2019 U.S. Open champion last week disclosed his PTSD, stemming from a lesion on his brain. He's been overwhelmed by the reaction, and it's helped him inside the ropes, too.

Gary Woodland is in contention at the Valspar Championship, a week after disclosing his PTSD diagnosis. | Allison Lawhon-Imagn Images

Gary Woodland feels his second-round 68 at the Valspar Championship was his most solid round of the year. 

Perhaps that’s because he feels relieved on and off the course. 

Why?

A week ago, the 2019 U.S. Open champion revealed his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stemming from a life-saving procedure to remove a lesion on his brain in September 2023. 

“I can’t waste energy anymore hiding this,” Woodland told Golf Channel, with his eyes welling, “and I’m blessed with a lot of support out here on the Tour. I appreciate that love and support. But inside, I feel like I’m dying. I feel like I’m living a lie. And I don't want to waste energy on that anymore.”

He was scared to disclose his condition to the world. Ultimately, though, it’s helped him tremendously. 

Last week, Gary Woodland revealed his ongoing battle with PTSD in the aftermath of 2023 brain surgery.

This week, he's in the top 10 after his second round @ValsparChamp ... the site of his first TOUR win in 2011.

"I can focus my energy on myself ... instead of wasting my… pic.twitter.com/RcXhsUP3uk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 20, 2026

“I tell you what, I was nervous to come out,” the 41-year-old said after his second round of the Valspar, where he’s 4 under par, four strokes off the 36-hole lead. “It’s something I battled now for over a year. But last week my caddie said it was the best he’s seen me since he can remember. I think just releasing it now.”

And Woodland’s been overwhelmed by the support. 

“It’s been amazing, to be honest with you,” he said. “I obviously got a lot of love and support after coming out of brain surgery and all that, but it was a lot more last week. I was maybe a little surprised by that. I think probably a lot of people could relate more to what I’m battling right now than they can relate to brain surgery, probably. But everyone’s amazing out here. The family, the Tour itself, the golf world, it’s been amazing.”

Inside the ropes, it’s been a struggle for Woodland since returning to the sport in January 2024, with just two top 10s. But, defying his doctor’s suggestions on what’s best for his PTSD, he’s still embarking on his professional golf dreams. And he feels his game is turning a corner. 

“It’s been coming,” the four-time Tour winner said. “I’ve been hitting it nice on the range, our practice sessions have been really good. I just haven’t translated to the golf course. So it was a lot of, ‘Stay the course. Stay the course.’ We know it's coming. I was talking to Randy [Smith], my coach, Friday after missing the cut last week [at the Players Championship] and just talking about how close it is. Like how close I am to just taking off. Nice to see some signs that have this week.”

Now, at the tournament in which he earned his maiden Tour win in 2011, Woodland has indeed seen the fruits of his labor. Plus, it helps that he’s playing freely. 

“I can focus my energy on myself and what I need to do to be successful, instead of wasting my energy trying to hide [my PTSD],” Woodland said. “It’s my reality, it’s what I’m battling, and we’ll get better, for sure.”

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