“I felt like I was dying, and I felt like I was living a lie.” Solo leader Gary Woodland opens up in a heartbreaking revelation at the 2026 Houston Open, recounting the terrifying moment a walking scorer triggered a PTSD blackout and the “exhausting” struggle of hiding his brain surgery scars—leaving fans in tears as he stands just nine holes away from a spectacular victory that proves anything is possible when you finally stop pretending.
Three weeks after publicly discussing his PTSD diagnosis in the wake of brain surgery, Gary Woodland leads the Texas Children’s Houston Open by six shots to the final nine.
It’s a reminder that anything is possible ⬇️
Amidst a successful TOUR career that counts the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach among four titles, Woodland took a competitive leave in summer 2023 and underwent surgery to remove a tumor that pushed on the part of brain controlling fear and anxiety.
Woodland returned to competition in early 2024, and this marks his third full season back, but the road has been uneven. He has battled symptoms of PTSD while battling to regain elite form. During one round at the Procore Championship, a walking scorer startled him by standing closer than he might have liked, and suddenly his eyesight became blurry and he couldn’t remember what he was doing.
He eventually chose to go public with his PTSD diagnosis, which he received roughly a year ago, to hopefully free himself from the exhausting effort of pretending everything is fine, and also to help others.
“I can’t waste energy anymore hiding this, and I’m blessed with a lot of support out here on the TOUR,” Woodland told Golf Channel after revealing the diagnosis. “I appreciate that love and support. But inside, I feel like I’m dying, and I feel like I’m living a lie.
“I want to live my dreams and be successful out here,” he continued. “But I want to help people, too. I realize now I’ve got to help myself first – and hopefully this is the first step in doing that.”
Since revealing his PTSD diagnosis, Woodland has seen an immediate uptick in results, leading to his virtuoso performance so far at Houston’s Memorial Park.
He’s nine holes away from one of the more emotional (and popular) victories in recent memory.
