'Just keep fighting' - Gary Woodland's message after winning first PGA Tour title since brain surgery

COMEBACK KID: Gary Woodland won the Houston Open on Sunday, completing a remarkable comeback. Pic: Yoshimasa Nakano/Getty Images

Gary Woodland won the Houston Open on Sunday, an emotional moment that seemed so improbable 30 months ago when he had brain surgery, and even two weeks ago when he opened up about his frightening struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Woodland looked better than ever at Memorial Park, taking a one-shot lead into the final round and stretching it to seven shots until coasting home to a trophy that felt as big as his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach in 2019.

He closed with a 3-under 67 to win by five shots over Nicolai Hojgaard. The gallery paused chanting his name so Woodland could roll in a 5-foot par putt. He stretched both arms, exhaled and looked to the blue sky before his tears began pouring.

“We play an individual sport out here, but I wasn’t alone today,” Woodland said, his voice quivering with emotion. “Anyone struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up. Just keep fighting.”

Woodland has been a popular figure and powerful player since he left a two-sport college career and joined the PGA Tour. But he began to struggle in 2023, only to learn he had a lesion on the part of his brain that caused unfounded fears that he was dying.

Surgery in September 2023, which involved a baseball-sized hole cut from the side of his head, removed much of the lesion. His return in January 2024 looked fine on the outside, particularly last year when he was runner-up at the Houston Open.

But he was hurting badly with PTSD, once rushing to a portable bathroom to break down in tears when he was overcome with emotion. He chose two weeks ago to share his struggles in a Golf Channel interview.

“I appreciate that love and support. But inside, I feel like I’m dying, and I feel like I’m living a lie,” he said in the interview. “I want to live my dreams and be successful out here. But I want to help people, too. I realize now I’ve got to help myself first.”

He said this week going public made him feel “1,000 pounds lighter.” He still has moments, such as fans getting too close to him on the ninth tee Friday that made him hypervigilant. He said he was in tears in scoring after the second round before he reset and got on with his routine.

“Coming out, talking and asking for help, I didn’t do that last year. I didn’t do that early this year,” Woodland said. “I’m in a fight. With the love and support I have around me, I have hope.” His physical strength sure didn’t leave him. Woodland reached 196 mph ball speed on one tee shot Sunday, and more striking was the smooth control he showed over every shot.

He finished at 21-under 259 for his first victory since the U.S. Open, and the fifth of his career. This one came with a big bonus — it makes him eligible for the Masters in two weeks.

Hojgaard fell back with a double bogey on the par-3 seventh hole when it took two shots to get out of a bunker. He closed with a 71 and a consolation prize. He secured his position inside the top 50 in the world — going from No. 47 to No. 36 — to earn his invitation to the Masters.

Hojgaard and defending champion Min Woo Lee (67) chose to stay back on their way to the 18th green to give Woodland the stage to himself, a gesture rarely seen outside the majors. It spoke to Woodland’s standing on the PGA Tour.

“We thought it was appropriate to let him have his moment,” Hojgaard said. “It was a pretty cool moment for Gary and it was cool to see. I’m really happy for him.” Woodland felt huge relief by sharing his PTSD struggles, and he had some technical help with his golf. He went to a new putter to help his alignment, and he consulted coach Randy Smith before going to stiffer shafts in his irons because his speed had returned and that helped him have better control of his shots.

There was no chance controlling his emotions, certainly over the last hour when the outcome was obvious and the 18th hole when it became reality.

But he said it’s still golf, and there’s still a battle with his recovery from brain surgery.

“It’s just another day. Today was a good day,” Woodland said with a smile and a short laugh. “But I’ve got a big fight ahead of me, and I’m going to keep going. But I’m proud of myself right now.”

His wife, Gabby, was with him all 18 holes with their three children at home. Woodland has said his wife was key to get him through surgery and what followed. “This has been hard on me. It’s been a lot harder on her,” he said.

The victory moves him to No. 51 in the world — his highest ranking in five years — and makes him eligible for all the PGA Tour’s remaining elite events this season.