Gary Woodland has revealed his battle with a brain condition after he ended his seven-year wait for a fifth PGA Tour title with victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. Woodland carded a three-under 67 at the Memorial Park Golf Course to finish 21 under par, five clear of Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard, marking his first victory since brain surgery.
Keep Reading: Gary Woodland is Making a Comeback After Medical Hardship
Woodland Reveals How Hard Life Is
He had failed to win any tournament since he won the 2019 US Open but marked his first victory in seven years with a remarkable performance. The 41-year-old spread his arms wide and looked to the skies after holing his final putt, and tears flowed from his eyes as he embraced his wife, Gabby. The American’s emotional victory came just weeks after he revealed his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during his recovery. Woodland received a PTSD diagnosis in January 2025.
Woodland took a break from competition in September 2023 to undergo surgery to remove a brain tumour and returned to the PGA Tour the following January, though he faced challenges during his recovery.
“Just thankful, I’m blessed to be able to chase my dreams, there’s no doubt about that,” Woodland said when asked what it felt to finally secure victory after a long wait. “I know it’s hard, life’s hard, everybody’s battling something. I’ve told myself the whole time, I wasn’t going to let this thing in my head win. From when I was diagnosed with this thing on my brain, the whole thing was I wasn’t going to let it win. Today was evidence of that.”
Woodland Vows To Keep Fighting
Woodland’s victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open marked his fifth PGA Tour title and moved him inside the top 25 in the FedExCup standings. The victory also earned the 2019 US Open winner an invite to The Masters next month at Augusta National.
“I’ll tell you what, we play an individual sport out here, but I wasn’t alone today,” Woodland said. “I got a lot of people behind me, my team, my family and this golf world. Anybody that’s struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up, just keep fighting. “Today was a good day, but I’m going to keep fighting. I’ve got a big fight ahead of me and I’m going to keep going, but I’m proud of myself right now.”
Woodland took a one-shot lead into the final day and extended his advantage when Hojgaard bogeyed the par-four first. He then took control of the tournament after converting from 10 feet at the fifth to spark a birdie burst. Although Hojgaard birdied the par-four sixth, a three-shot swing saw him double-bogey the par-three next while Woodland rolled in a putt from 25 feet to maintain his advantage. Both players capitalized on the par-five eighth, but Woodland finished strong, ending the tournament at 21 under par with an impressive final-round 67 on the par-70 Memorial Park Golf Course.
Woodland’s victory goes beyond just another title, marking a powerful return after years of personal and physical challenges. His Victory at the Houston Open stands shows resilience, proving that determination can overcome even the toughest battles.
Main Photo Credit: © Erik Williams-Imagn Images
