Tecumseh, KS, 2002. Gary Woodland graduated from High School and went to play basketball on a scholarship at nearby Washburn University. He very much missed his first love, golf, thus, transferred his sophomore year to The University of Kansas.
The rest is......... well, life. Always goes like we plan doesn't it? Some, not quite all.
Whilst proudly emblazoned in shirts bearing the Jayhawk logo, he won four tournaments... enough good, that he turned pro on 2007. The World of professional golf is so ultra competitive, and Gary learned same as he played and struggled a tad in a handful of tournaments on the then Nationwide Tour for a couple years..
In 2008, he went to 'Q School' in attempt to qualify for the big guy Tour, tied for 11th. good enough to earn a card to the PGA tour... Struggle was becoming a common theme.. .he missed ten of eighteen cuts before a shoulder injury cut his year short.
Back to Q School in 2010, once again, tied for 11th, here's your PGA card sir. Ahhh, finally, victory in 2011. The ladder of golf found him ranked #962 in the World in '09, #561 in 2010, and yippee, #53 in 2011, which, included a nifty tour playing in The Masters.
He basically, made it. Pro golf into his 30's found him consistently making cuts... winning a few tournaments, and jualah, Pebble Beach, 2019, yes, that Pebble Beach, THE US OPEN CHAMP!
So........... you know how life rolls... struggle, struggle, struggle, success, and, then ya coast, right?
Ahm, no. Maybe for the very few, but there's always struggle within.
August of 2023 found Gary announcing he'd been diagnosed with a brain lesion, and he underwent a lengthy surgery the following month. The struggles of college golf, the Nationwide Tour, a rookie on the Big Tour, all paled in comparison to this.
He continued to meet every challenge. Four months after surgery, he returned to the Tour where he battled the physical, mental and emotional effects of his condition - where, in 2025, his peers awarded him the PGA Tour Courage Award.
Struggle done? Not so fast.
Napa, California, The FedEx Cup Tourney. “I was hypervigilant,” Woodland said, calling out a common trait associated with PTSD. “A walking scorer startled me, got close to me from behind. I pulled my caddie and said, ‘You can’t let anybody get behind me.’ Next thing you know, I couldn’t remember what I was doing. My eyesight started to get blurry.”
It was his turn to hit, and he couldn't. His caddie said "Let's go in." He wouldn't. "No man, I'm here for these guys. I want to finish." He finished but the emotion toll followed. "I went into every bathoom to cry the rest of the day. I got in my car and got out of there. There are days when it's tough and I'm in the scoring trailer crying, running to my car just to hide it.
He announced in a soon to follow interview he was diagnosed with PTSD. "I don't want to live that way any more. Opening up, I feel like I've gotten 1,000 pounds off my back. This has been harder on my family and my team because they just want to help, make it go away, and that's not how this battle goes - but, their love and support is what's gotten me through it. I didn't have to hide it, I could be myself."
Geez Louise. He gets knocked down, but he gets up again.
And........
Don't look now......... there's a guy teeing off in the PGA Houston Open in Texas this morning leading by one stroke with 18 holes to play. Oh, he's 41, that's not supposed to happen. He's had all the life struggles we have, plus. Oh, he had brain surgery. And btw, just announced his PTSD diagnosis. Yep, it's Gary Woodland. Quite a remarkable man.
GO GARY!
When he was awarded the PGA Courage Award, he pointed the $25,000 winnings to Champion Charities, which conducts research and supports patients with brain tumors, trauma or disease. Then, he and wife Gabby matched it. That's Gary (and Gabby).
PTSD is a size shoe most of us can't simply fit, see out of, or, understand but we sure as heck can say God Bless to you all who are forced to deal, live with it. Truly. You are amazing.
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