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Gary Woodland didn’t end up winning at the Texas Children’s Houston Open on Sunday afternoon.
While that trophy went to Min Woo Lee, Woodland is leaving with his head held high. It wasn’t just his best outing on the PGA Tour in years, but his finish was by far his best since he underwent brain surgery less than two years ago.
Woodland matched the course record Sunday with a 62 and climbed up four spots to tie with Scottie Scheffler in second at Memorial Park Golf Course. It was his best finish anywhere on Tour since his win at the U.S. Open in 2019.
“It was great just to get those juices flowing again, just to see some results, for that matter,” Woodland said. “I’ve worked my tail off when I’ve been able to … It was nice to finally see it. It’s one thing to tell yourself and to believe it, but it’s another thing to see it in person.
“I saw it and felt everything that I wanted to feel today.”
Woodland underwent surgery to remove part of a lesion from his brain in 2023, which came after months of terrifying symptoms that he was struggling to understand.
Outside of losing his appetite, experiencing shaky hands and the chills, the biggest issue was the fear and anxiety that Woodland couldn’t escape. He was frequently jolted awake at night after having nightmares that he was dying. He was having little seizures during his sleep, too, which made rest hard to come by.
“It was a horrible experience. All you wanted to do was go to sleep to not think about it, and going to sleep was the worst part,” Woodland said last year. “That is where all the seizures were happening. It was a horrible four, five months.”
That was about 18 months ago. He returned to start the PGA Tour season last year which, even though it didn’t go that well, was a remarkable comeback a few months after brain surgery. Woodland had one top-10 finish and missed 11 cuts on the season.
This year hasn’t been much better. He entered this week in Houston having missed the cut in three of his past four starts. But for whatever reason, Woodland’s game finally clicked.
Woodland matched the course record with an 8-under 62 on Sunday, which was his best round on Tour since 2018. He carded seven birdies and an eagle in the final round. He landed his approach at the last within just 2 feet for a tap-in birdie putt to finish the day, which brought him a single stroke off the lead.
Lee ended up grabbing the win at 20-under. It was his first win on Tour. Woodland and Scheffler were just one back.
“It was as good as I’ve felt on a golf course in a long time,” Woodland said. “The game was great, but I was able to slow down. I was able to slow my thoughts down and it’s been a while for me for that.”
Woodland, who won the PGA Tour’s Courage Award earlier this season, is in his final season of PGA eligibility from his win at the U.S. Open in 2019. He will need to pick up a win this season, or finish inside the top 100 in the last FedExCup Fall standings, to secure full PGA Tour status for next season. Woodland entered the week at No. 186 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
While his status is undoubtedly on Woodland’s mind, and he missed out on his best shot in years to grab a win, Woodland isn't focused on that just yet. After his week in Houston, he’s more than ready for a break.
“I’m exhausted, I need to rest,” he said. “I’m a little overwhelmed right now, probably.
“Like I said, I haven’t been in contention for a long time. But it takes a lot for me to slow everything down, and I was able to do that, but it’s a lot of work and I’m very tired right now. So I’m looking forward to getting into bed and getting some rest.”
