Former US Open Champion Gary Woodland To Undergo Brain Surgery

Gary Woodland has revealed that he will undergo brain surgery in the coming weeks.

The American made the announcement on Twitter, explaining the surgery will be carried out to remove a lesion from his brain.

His statement read: “I wanted to share a recent health development with you. On Sept 18th, I'll be having surgery to remove a lesion found on my brain. I was diagnosed a few months ago and have been trying to treat symptoms with medication.

“After consulting with multiple specialists and discussing with my family, we've made the decision that surgery to remove the lesion is the best course of action. I'm in good spirits with my family and team by my side and so thankful for the love and support of everyone.”

The 39-year-old’s most recent appearance came in July’s Wyndham Championship, where he needed a top-three finish to reach the FedEx Cup Playoffs. In the end, he had to settle for a T27 at Sedgefield Country Club, which brought his PGA Tour season to a close.

Woodland has enjoyed a hugely successful career to date. His first PGA Tour win came in the 2011 Transitions Championship, with another in the 2013 Reno-Tahoe Open followed by victory in the 2018 WM Phoenix Open.

Woodland's career highlight so far came in 2019 with victory in the US Open at Pebble Beach, where he beat Brooks Koepka by three shots, which was capped by a memorable 40-foot putt on the 18th green.

That achievement also brought him a career-high world ranking of 12th. However, this season has been more of a struggle for Woodland, whose high points were T9s in the Cadence Bank Houston Open and one of the PGA Tour’s designated events, the Genesis Invitational.

No potential timetable has been given for Woodland’s return to action.