Gary Woodland wins the Houston Open
for first PGA Tour title since brain surgery
[March 30, 2026]
HOUSTON (AP) — 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.
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Gary Woodland holds the championship trophy after winning the Texas
Children's Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 29, 2026, in
Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)
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.
Divots
Michael Thorbjornsen was in position to move into the top 50 and get
into the Masters until he made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch
on the back nine and stumbled to a 72 to finish well outside the top
10. ... Shane Lowry made a hole-in-one on the second hole, his
fourth on the PGA Tour. The others came on No. 7 at Pebble Beach,
No. 17 at the TPC Sawgrass and No. 12 at Augusta National. Adam
Scott also made an ace on the 11th hole. ... PGA Tour rookie Johnny
Keefer shot 64 and tied for third.
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