Inside Gary Woodland’s Triumphant Golf Return After Brain Surgery and Shock PTSD Revelation: ‘This Is a Fight I Have Every Day’ (Exclusive)
Inside Gary Woodland’s Triumphant Golf Return After Brain Surgery and Shock PTSD Revelation: ‘This Is a Fight I Have Every Day’ (Exclusive)
Anna Lazarus CaplanFri, October 2, 2026 at 2:04 PM UTC
0
Gary WoodlandCredit: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty -
Gary Woodland is sharing his health journey in hopes of helping others
The pro golfer tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about how he fought his way back after having brain surgery in 2023
Woodland, 42, won the Houston Open in March and had a successful year on the PGA Tour
Years before Gary Woodland’s health took a turn, he had a robust fanbase.
The golfer’s galleries on the PGA Tour were often full of Woodland enthusiasts, cheering on the affable Kansan who turned pro in 2007.
Yet now, three years after he underwent surgery to remove a lesion on his brain, not to mention ongoing issues with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open winner is finding himself in a role reversal — offering encouragement to those who have supported him and may be walking the same road.
“At the end of the day, the one thing I want people to realize is you’re not alone in your fight,” Woodland, 42, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview pegged to his partnership with AbbVie’s “Birdies for Brain Health” campaign. “This is a fight that I have every day, and I want people to know. It pains me to think that somebody was out there living with something that they think they’re by themselves.”
After undergoing surgery in September 2023, Woodland returned to the tour in January 2024 and was met with overwhelming support. However, he struggled to maintain composure during competition.
Woodland won the Houston Open on March 29, 2026, marking his first win on the tour since 2019.Credit: Mike Mulholland/Getty
In an interview with the Golf Channel last March, the five-time PGA Tour winner disclosed he was suffering from PTSD.
“Every week, I come out and everyone is so excited and happy that I’m back,” Woodland said. “I hear that every week: ‘It’s so nice to see you past this. It’s so nice to see you 100%,’ And I appreciate that love and support, but inside, I feel like I’m dying.”
During the interview, Woodland recalled being triggered after a scorer in his group got too close for his comfort.
Looking back, Woodland tells PEOPLE it wasn’t a “coincidence” that two weeks after the interview, he prevailed in Houston on March 29 with a five-stroke victory, his first triumph since capturing the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
Gary Woodland, his wife Gabby, and their children Lennox, Jaxson and Maddox.Credit: Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty
“The amount of energy I was wasting on a daily basis trying to hide it and not talk about it,” Woodland shares. “And not only the energy I was wasting, but the energy my family and my team was expending as well. And, you know, mental health affects a lot more than just the person that’s battling it.”
After the win in Houston that Sunday, he claimed it was “just another day.”
Advertisement
“Today was a good day,” he told reporters at the tournament. “But I’ve got a big fight ahead of me, and I’m going to keep going. But I’m proud of myself right now.”
Woodland tells PEOPLE that speaking out about his struggle seemed to release the pressure and helped him play more freely.
“For me, to come out with that and just get that off my chest, I think it freed me up. When I was able to come through and win there, you know, when we got in the car pulling out, my wife [Gabby] and I, we just stopped and we just screamed. I think we just needed the exhale for everything that we’ve been battling through this together.”
Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE’s free sports newsletter — sign up now!
Over 22 events in 2026, Woodland advanced to the weekend 16 times and sported six top-10 finishes, including the Charles Schwab Challenge (tied 6th), the U.S. Open (7th) and the RBC Heritage (tied 8th).
Then in August, Woodland finished the BMW Championship tied for fourth, meaning he would compete in the Tour Championship for the first time in seven years.
Despite the rowdy atmosphere at the BMW Championship in St. Louis, Woodland overcame distractions — including Mizzou fans who gave the University of Kansas alum grief — to find his footing in the final round on Aug. 23.
It’s a journey the golfer knows would not be possible without the support of his biggest fans: wife Gabby and their children: son Jaxson, 9, and twin daughters Maddox and Lennox, 7.
“This year is by far the most proud of myself I’ve ever been,” Woodland tells PEOPLE. “But I’ve never overcome anything like what I have this year. And that’s a tribute not only to my team, but my family and the people I have around me that this year was about all of us and overcoming something that at some point I didn’t know if I was gonna be able to overcome.”
He adds, “I’m blessed to be a professional athlete and travel the world and live my dreams.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
