Gary Woodland Produces Best PGA Tour Finish Since Return From Brain Surgery

The 2019 US Open champion had brain surgery to remove a benign tumor in 2023, with a T2 at the Texas Children's Houston Open his best finish since returning at the start of last year

Gary Woodland takes a shot at the Texas Children's Houston Open
Gary Woodland finished runner-up at the Texas Children's Houston Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A little over 18 months ago, Gary Woodland underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor, a procedure that meant he needed to step away from the game for four months until returning for the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii.

Not surprisingly, the 2019 US Open champion’s return to action was greeted with sighs of relief throughout the golf world, including from Tiger Woods, who handed him an exemption to that year's Genesis Invitational and described his comeback as an “unbelievable story.”

Gary Woodland with the US Open trophy

Woodland won the US Open in 2019

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Since Woodland's return to action, there have been some encouraging signs that he has put his health scare firmly in the past, including a round of 64 on his way to T45 at that May’s Charles Schwab Challenge and a finish of T9 at the Shriners Children’s Open last October. However, he has now given his most complete performance since his comeback at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.

The 40-year-old produced rounds of 69, 64 and 66 on the opening three days at the Memorial Park Golf Course tournament, but his best was to come, putting himself firmly into contention in the final round with a 62 that included seven birdies, an eagle and just one bogey as the finished on T2 with Scottie Scheffler at 19-under as Min Woo Lee claimed his maiden PGA Tour title.

Afterwards, Woodland admitted his performance was the result of hard work since returning to action. He said: “For me, it was great just to get those juices flowing again, just to see some results for that matter. I've worked my tail off when I've been able to.

He added: “I saw and felt everything that I wanted to feel today. The good thing is from where I'm at health-wise, it's hard for me to get ahead thinking-wise because I don't have the stamina to do it. So a lot of breath work, a lot of things to slow everything down. I was in really good control of my thoughts and my emotions, which hasn't been the case for me for a long time. With that said, today was a great day for me.”

Gary Woodland at the Sony Open

Woodland returned to action at the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Woodland also revealed he’s just thankful just to be playing again - albeit with a different perspective nowadays. He said: “It's completely different. I'm thankful, I'm thankful to be out here. I am extremely blessed to play this game for a living, to travel the world, to be around the people that are out here that are supporting me.

“My family's here. My kids - my son's in first grade, so they don't travel much anymore. This is spring break for them and they were here. I thought they were leaving, so to see them when I got done, that's what I'm fighting for, right? That's why I'm out here, to prove to them that you can overcome anything and you've just got to keep fighting, and I think I showed a little bit of that today.”

Victory for Woodland would have handed him a place at The Masters. As things stand, he is not in the field, although he is due to play again in next week’s Valero Texas Open. Given his brilliant performance in Houston this week, there is surely every chance he could go one step further next week to complete a fairytale comeback with a place at the Augusta National Major.

Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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