- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,151,930
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Gary Woodland brain surgery, explained: How golfer battled through tumor, PTSD to return to PGA Tour originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
A five-time winner on the PGA Tour circuit, Gary Woodland has enjoyed plenty of good days throughout his professional career.
At his best, the 2019 U.S. Open champion is a contender, flaunting sumptuous driving and a steady hand on the putting green to surge up leaderboards. Off the links, he has proven similarly memorable, albeit for different reasons. Woodland triumphed over the grandest of all challenges in 2023, overcoming a brain tumor to return to the Tour.
Things haven't been easy for Woodland in the years since his operation. But he has kept going despite his ordeals, asserting himself as one of the Tour's most inspirational talents as of late. In 2024, his resurgence was enshrined in glittering gold: Woodland was named the PGA Tour Courage Award recipient.
With that, here's what you need to know about Woodland's return from brain surgery.
MORE:Everything to know about the Masters Green Jacket
Gary Woodland brain surgery
In Sept. 2023, Woodland underwent a craniotomy to remove a benign tumor from his brain. He dealt with panic attacks and extreme anxiety in the months leading up to the operation, although Woodland didn't know why.
As it turned out, the lesion was pressing up on the part of Woodland's brain that controlled his fear responses. He was experiencing partial seizures -- his hands trembled and heart rate rose as a result of his ailment.
An MRI revealed the cause of his condition -- a benign tumor.
"It was very emotional because I had gone four-and-a-half months of every day really thinking I was going to die," Woodland said, via the Associated Press. "The doctors kept telling me I was OK, but this thing pushing on my brain ... didn't matter if I was driving a car, on an airplane, I thought everything was going to kill me. You can imagine leading up to surgery how I felt going into having my head cut open and operated on. The fear going into that was awful."
Surgeons drilled a "baseball-sized hole" into the left side of Woodland's skull, dispatching of the lesion. He returned to the grass 115 days later, although he still deals with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the ordeal.
MORE:Why is the Masters always at Augusta National?
"This is what the fight's for," Woodland told ESPN's Marty Smith during the 2026 Masters Par-3 challenge. "Yeah, it's hard. The fight, it's real, everyday but, this is it. Share this moment with my kids, this is everything."
"This is what the fight's for. ... Share this moment with my kids, this is everything."
Gary Woodland, who underwent brain surgery in 2023 to remove a lesion and has been diagnosed with PTSD, describes to @MartySmithESPN what the Masters Par 3 Contest means to himpic.twitter.com/s8vk6nJrT9
— ESPN (@espn) April 8, 2026
Gary Woodland brain tumor type
It's unclear quite what brain tumor Woodland had . There are more than 120 different types of brain tumors, lesions and cysts, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. What is known is that Woodland's tumor was benign and did impact the part of his brain that controls his fear response.
Meningioma is the most common form of brain tumor, representing more than 60 percent of all brain tumors. The disease originates in the meninges -- the outer three layers of tissue that sheath and protect the brain under the skull. Most meningiomas are benign, although some can linger after treatment.
MORE:Complete list of Masters winners by year
Gary Woodland symptoms
Woodland's tumor pushed up on the part of his brain that dictates fear. He was a bundle of nerves, felled by extreme anxiety and panic attacks. There were times when he'd wake up in the middle of the night, hands gripping the side of the bed.
He thought he was falling to his death.
“I thought everything was going to kill me,” Woodland said, according to The Athletic.
MORE:Complete record of Scottie Scheffler's results at the Masters
Why does Gary Woodland have PTSD?
Woodland was diagnosed with PTSD while recovering from his craniotomy. He returned to action four months later, although the ordeal shook him to his core. The harrowing and life-threatening nature of his experience left him with PTSD.
“Every week I come out, and everyone is so excited and happy that I’m back,” Woodland said while speaking with the Golf Channel in 2026. “And I appreciate the love and support, but inside, I feel like I’m dying. I feel like I’m living a lie.”
During the 2025 Procore Championship, Woodland said he had a breakdown after a course volunteer startled him. He bawled in the middle of the fairway as his eyes grew blurry.
Woodland recovered from the incident to place 19th in the competition. Despite his on-course success, the struggles still remain.
“If someone needs to hear that, know that I’m battling too,” Woodland said.
MORE:How do playoffs work at the Masters?
When did Gary Woodland return to the PGA Tour?
Woodland returned to the Tour four months after his operation. It took him another nine months to pick up his first top-10 finish. In March 2026, Woodland revealed that he was living with PTSD. Two weeks later, he took home his first PGA Tour win since the operation, vanquishing all comers to win the Houston Open. He weeped as his final shot nestled into the hole.
MORE:How much do Masters caddies get paid?
How old is Gary Woodland?
Woodland is 41 years old. The Topeka, Kan. native will turn 42 on May 21.
Continue reading...
