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It was only 20 days ago Gary Woodland revealed to the world he deals with PTSD, a side effect from brain surgery to remove a lesion in September 2023. He did so in an emotional Golf Channel interview before the Players Championship, saying he needed to get it off his chest, hoping to help not only himself but others dealing with similar circumstances.
Earlier this week, the 41-year-old said it felt like he had a 1,000-pound weight lifted off his shoulders after telling the world of his diagnosis. He's going to feel a little bit heavier Sunday, but it's because he's hoisting a trophy for the first time in almost 7 years.
Woodland won the 2026 Texas Children's Houston Open at Memorial Park, his first victory since the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2019. The span between wins was one of the most difficult challenges any professional golfer has faced off the course during that time. But Sunday belonged to Woodland, who showed the fans, his peers and the world you can overcome anything you set your mind to.
The way Woodland won was dominant. He led by only one shot after 54 holes, and by the time he made the turn, he was six ahead. Coming down the stretch, he led by as many as seven shots. He finished at 21 under par, beating Nicolai Hojgaard by five shots. Hojgaard and Min Woo Lee, the defending champion in Houston, walked about 50 yards behind Woodland cheering him on as he marched to victory down the 18th hole Sunday afternoon.
Earlier this week, Woodland switched to his old iron shafts, a stiffer version that could handle an aggressive swing. The change came after his coach, Randy Smith, told Woodland he needed to start swinging harder at the ball like he did when he won the U.S. Open.
That was the plan this week. And Woodland swung away at Memorial Park. On the par-5 third hole, he hit 196 mph ball speed with his tee shot and constantly was in the 190s off the tee. For the season, Woodland is first in ball speed on the PGA Tour, and those numbers likely will only go up after this week.
And now, he's back in the winner's circle. The win also get him into the Masters in two weeks.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Gary Woodland wins Houston Open 2026 for first win in almost 7 years
Continue reading...
Earlier this week, the 41-year-old said it felt like he had a 1,000-pound weight lifted off his shoulders after telling the world of his diagnosis. He's going to feel a little bit heavier Sunday, but it's because he's hoisting a trophy for the first time in almost 7 years.
Woodland won the 2026 Texas Children's Houston Open at Memorial Park, his first victory since the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2019. The span between wins was one of the most difficult challenges any professional golfer has faced off the course during that time. But Sunday belonged to Woodland, who showed the fans, his peers and the world you can overcome anything you set your mind to.
The way Woodland won was dominant. He led by only one shot after 54 holes, and by the time he made the turn, he was six ahead. Coming down the stretch, he led by as many as seven shots. He finished at 21 under par, beating Nicolai Hojgaard by five shots. Hojgaard and Min Woo Lee, the defending champion in Houston, walked about 50 yards behind Woodland cheering him on as he marched to victory down the 18th hole Sunday afternoon.
Earlier this week, Woodland switched to his old iron shafts, a stiffer version that could handle an aggressive swing. The change came after his coach, Randy Smith, told Woodland he needed to start swinging harder at the ball like he did when he won the U.S. Open.
That was the plan this week. And Woodland swung away at Memorial Park. On the par-5 third hole, he hit 196 mph ball speed with his tee shot and constantly was in the 190s off the tee. For the season, Woodland is first in ball speed on the PGA Tour, and those numbers likely will only go up after this week.
And now, he's back in the winner's circle. The win also get him into the Masters in two weeks.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Gary Woodland wins Houston Open 2026 for first win in almost 7 years
Continue reading...
