Three years after his brain surgery, Gary Woodland is back in the winner’s circle.
Woodland ran away with the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open, starting the final round with only a one-stroke lead over Denmark’s Nicolai Højgaard. Defending champion Min Woo Lee was in the final group, though he was 6 back to start the day; he ultimately finished tied for third.
Woodland made four birdies in his first nine holes, three of which were consecutive. He had one bogey on the fourteenth hole, but by then, he already had a large lead. He sank his par putt on the last hole to win by 5 over Højgaard.
I’d be surprised if there was a dry eye at the course or on the couch for those watching at home. Woodland opened up about his mental health, with most people learning about his brain surgery in 2023 from the Netflix series, “Full Swing.” Woodland’s last victory came in 2019 at the U.S. Open.
“I’ll tell you what, we play an individual sport out here, but I wasn’t alone today,” said Woodland. “I got a lot of people behind me, my team, my family and this golf world. Anybody that’s struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up, just keep fighting.”
With this win, we’ll be seeing Woodland tee it up at The Masters at Augusta National on April 9, 2026.
