“If you’re worried about something, I want you to look at me, don’t give up, and keep fighting.”
These words were spoken by Gary Woodland in an emotional interview shortly after his first PGA Tour win since undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor in September 2023.
“From the moment I was diagnosed with this brain disease, I wasn’t going to let it win. Today was proof of that.”
The American won the Texas Children’s Houston Open by five strokes, qualifying him for the Masters at Augusta National starting April 9, but it has been seven years since his last win on the PGA Tour, the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
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Highlights from the final round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open, where Woodland defeated Denmark’s Nikolaj Højgaard by five strokes.
Woodland credits his success at Texas to opening up about the toll his medical problems have taken on him, revealing in an interview with Golf Channel earlier this month that he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder since his surgery.
He has been battling anxiety and hypervigilance, and is expected to have an episode this week during the second round in Houston.
“When I teed off on the 9th, some guys behind the ropes approached me and made me very wary.
“The last 10 holes of the day were a disaster. I was able to hit the score, roll my eyes, reset, come back and process what happened.”
Woodland is ‘chasing his dreams’ after announcing his PTSD diagnosis
Woodland credited the PGA Tour’s security team for calming him down, and himself for seeking help when he hadn’t been able to before.
By going public about his personal struggles, the 41-year-old said he felt “1,000 pounds lighter.” Now that he has won the Houston Open, he is more than $1 million richer. But that’s not really the point. This victory comes not from cash or fame, but from courage.
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Minwoo Lee urged the crowd to stand up for Woodland on the final hole Sunday.
“It’s just another day to continue my recovery. Today was a good day. I have a big fight ahead of me, but I’m going to keep moving forward. I’m proud of where I am right now.”
“Coming out about what I was struggling with definitely freed me up a little bit. It allowed me to focus my energy where I needed it. I was able to take care of myself so I could follow my dreams.
“If it gives me enough energy to hit one good shot a round, or give me enough energy to get an extra five minutes that I can spend with my kids when I’m home, that helps me. I was trying to hide the battle I was fighting and wasting a lot of energy on that.”
Woodland said he was inspired to share his story by veterans who “told me I can’t do it alone and we need to talk about it,” and thanked his wife Gabby for her unwavering support. “Certainly, there is no way I could have accomplished this without my wife. It was hard for me, but it was even harder for her. I love her to death.”
Woodland kisses wife Gabby after victory at Texas
“My game is better than ever.”
Now, he’ll tee up at the Masters for the first time since 2024 and look forward to improving on his previous best finish (tied for 14th) at Augusta National in 2023.
His 14th place finish at last week’s Valspar Championship means he’s back to form after four missed cuts in the first six events of 2026, and was energized by the win in Houston.
“My game is better than it’s ever been. This is probably the best I’ve played from top to bottom. Obviously I had a great week at Pebble Beach (in 2019), but this week I was completely in control. I’m proud of that.”
“At the beginning of the year, I had a dark four weeks playing. Luckily I had a week or two off and was able to reset a little bit.
“Then I decided to[make my struggles public]and last week I started to feel more confident. The important thing is to keep doing it. I’m definitely in a better place than I was a month ago.”
Woodland reacts after winning his fifth PGA Tour title and first since 2019 U.S. Open
Woodland’s final round playing partners Nikolai Huygaard and Minu Lee held them to 18 points, allowing the leaders to move forward.
Huygaard later revealed how happy he was, saying it was “appropriate” for the American to have a “very cool moment”.
“We’re playing an individual sport here, and I wasn’t alone,” Woodland said in an emotional speech after the win.
The only way he could be alone was by being at the top of the leaderboard. A reward for not giving up and continuing to fight.
