Gary Woodland has dealt with more than his share of stressful situations. His back nine on Sunday wasn’t one of them.
By the time he made the turn in the final round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open, Woodland had stretched a one-shot lead to five and transformed his afternoon into a stroll through Memorial Park — even if it didn’t feel like that.
“It felt a lot closer than five in my head, I can tell you that,” Woodland said after his win.
All that remained was a victory march — punctuated by the deep breaths that have become a central part of his routine — that carried him back to the winner’s circle for the first time since his U.S. Open triumph at Pebble Beach nearly seven years ago.
“Anybody that is struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up,” a choked-up Woodland said moments after his final putt dropped.
“It’s just another day, right, that I’ve got to keep healing. 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.”
The emotional release was the latest unburdening for a 41-year-old who has battled demons fiercer than most Tour pros ever face. Two and a half years ago, Woodland was sidelined for four months after surgery to remove a brain lesion. Upon his return, he acknowledged feelings of fear and anxiety, a revelation that only hinted at the full depth of his struggles. Two weeks ago at the Players Championship, a more complete picture emerged when Woodland disclosed to Golf Channel that he’d been diagnosed with PTSD following his surgery, and that doctors had told him that in “an ideal world,” he wouldn’t be competing on Tour at all.
He’d soldiered on anyway, with modest results. In his last 55 starts before this week, the best he’d managed was a pair of top-10s — one of them a runner-up finish at last year’s Houston Open.
Through the lean times, Woodland stayed open about his struggles, a transparency that only deepened his bond with fans and elevated his standing among peers.
After a sluggish start to 2026, a T14 at last week’s Valspar hinted that something might be building. Central to Woodland’s return to form was a rekindled relationship with swing coach Randy Smith, whom Woodland first worked with in 2005. A business conflict ended their partnership. At his wife Gabby’s urging, Woodland had reconnected with Smith, who, Woodland said, got him to stop guiding the ball and swinging freely again. Heading into this week, he led the Tour in driving distance.
“Randy’s got me in a spot now, my game’s better than it’s ever been,” Woodland said.
“He’s more than a golf coach to me. He’s always been that way,” Woodland said Sunday of Smith. “I needed him for more than golf. He stepped up and he’s helped me get to this point right here.”
Gary Woodland began Sunday with a one-shot edge over Nicolai Højgaard and six over the third player in their group, Min Woo Lee, who had edged Woodland by a stroke at last year’s Houston Open. That lead doubled almost immediately when Højgaard bogeyed the first hole. From there, Woodland pulled away steadily, turning what could have been a tense afternoon into something closer to a coronation.
It wasn’t just the driver doing the work. Woodland navigated Memorial’s large, contoured greens without a three-putt all week. As he walked up the 18th fairway Sunday, his victory a mere waiting formality, his two playing partners stopped and applauded, with Lee amping up the atmosphere by urging the crowd to chants of “Gary! Gary.”
“I tell you what, we play an individual sport out here, but I wasn’t alone today,” Woodland said.
When his final putt went down for par, Woodland raised his hands, looked to the sky, then fell tearfully into Gabby’s arms.
His closing 67 left him at 21-under, a tournament record, five shots clear of Højgaard. But not all victories are measured in strokes.
“Just thankful. I’m blessed to be able to chase my dreams, there’s no doubt about that,” Woodland said, sitting next to the trophy. “I know it’s hard, but life’s hard, right? 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.”
