Gary Woodland Scores Emotional Houston Open Win After Brain Surgery, PTSD Battles

In January 2024, roughly four months after undergoing a life-saving procedure to remove a brain lesion, Gary Woodland returned to the PGA Tour. But issues, on and off the course, persisted.

His brain still had trouble keeping up. There were times he had to leave the room when he was with his kids, unable to handle their energy. Then, he hit “rock bottom” at the 2024 3M Open, calling his wife in tears after the third round.

“I think I’m dying again; it’s all back,” Woodland said.

That was likely the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which Woodland was diagnosed with in 2025. Even though he continued to pursue his golf dreams, he recorded only two top 10s in 55 starts over two years and was often hypervigilant. Another low point came at the Procore Championship last September, when a walking scorer startled him, and he could barely hit a shot from the fairway.

Finally, Woodland couldn’t bear the burden of hiding his condition anymore. So, three weeks ago, ahead of the Players Championship, he contacted Golf Channel, wanting to share his struggles with the world. As he sat down with the network for an interview, his eyes continuously welled up as he revealed, “I feel like I’m living a lie.”

Afterward, he said he felt a “thousand pounds” lighter. And that translated inside the ropes. Though he missed the cut at the Players Championship, he followed that up with a T14 at the Valspar Championship, his best result of the season.

Now, a week later, Woodland’s triumphant comeback story is complete. He won the Texas Children’s Houston Open by five strokes over Nicolai Højgaard for his first title since the 2019 U.S. Open.

“I put a lot of work in,” said Woodland, who finished at 21 under par. “It’s obviously been a struggle for me the last couple years, but I knew physically the game was as good as it’s ever been. I just had to fight through some other battles that I’m battling and I was able do that this week.

“Obviously coming out with what I'm battling a couple weeks ago definitely freed me up a little bit. It took a lot off my plate.”

Woodland dominated, leading the field in strokes-gained total and putting. He snatched the lead on his third hole of Round 3 and never seized it. A second-round 63 and third-round 65 gave him a one-stroke lead entering the final round at Memorial Park, a place where he’s clearly comfortable, as he placed runner-up at this event a year ago behind a final-round 62, one of his few bright spots in recent years.

What a moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nwPC0Y75sf
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 29, 2026

Still, could Woodland finish the job? He showed no signs of nervousness. On the 3rd hole, the world’s 139th-ranked player smashed a 363-yard drive with a 196 mph ball speed. Then came birdie on No. 5. Another followed on No. 7, sinking a 24-foot putt, as Højgaard, his playing partner, made double from the greenside bunker. Woodland led by five. And he made two more birdies before making the turn.

On the back nine, Woodland was stuck in neutral. But, even with a bogey on the par-4 14th and no birdies, he had built up a substantial lead. On the par-4 17th, with a four-stroke advantage, he was playing not to lose, using an iron off the tee to avoid the risk of splashing his drive, with water on the left side.

On the 72nd hole, Woodland had the trophy all but secured. His tee shot settled in the left rough, leaving him 168 yards to the hole. His approach, with a 7-iron, rolled off the left side of the green, but he walked up the fairway to a rousing applause, with his playing partners, Højgaard and Min Woo Lee, pumping up the crowd.

“We talked about [staying behind Woodland while walking up No. 18],” Højgaard said. “We thought it was appropriate to let him have his moment. It was a pretty cool moment for Gary and it was cool to see. I’m really happy for him.”

Woodland then chipped to 5 feet and made his par putt, tying the tournament’s scoring record. His reclamation story was complete. He looked up to the sky, exhaled and embraced his caddie and wife in tears as the fans chanted his name.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere before this without [my family],” Woodland said. “There’s no chance I could do this without Gabby [his wife], for sure. This has been hard on me; this has been a lot harder on her and I love her to death.”

Now, he’ll have a tee time in the Masters and is fully exempt on Tour for another two years.

Amid his PTSD battle, doctors suggested avoiding high-intensity environments, which professional golf certainly is. He admits that in an ideal world, he’s probably no longer playing. But also notes that in an ideal world, “I don’t have this. This is my dream.”

So, despite all the tears, all the missed cuts and all the doubts that his major championship-winning career was over, he never gave up.

All the difficult times paved the way for this very moment—to hoist a trophy again. Only this time, compared to Woodland’s first four wins, it serves a bigger purpose: showing people that they, too, can overcome their struggles.

“Anybody that’s struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up,” Woodland said, “just keep fighting.”

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