Gary Woodland savors Masters return after brain surgery, PTSD battle nearly ended his career

Gary Woodland’s return to Augusta National Golf Club carries added value this twelvemonth aft he pulled disconnected a astonishing triumph astatine nan Houston Open successful March.

Woodland embraced nan infinitesimal astatine Augusta National this week, reflecting connected nan contented and value of the Masters.

"I emotion this place," Woodland said Tuesday. "I emotion nan tradition. There’s thing for illustration driving down Magnolia Lane. I decidedly drove down a small slower this twelvemonth than I ever have, moreover nan first clip I was present successful 2011. I’m decidedly taking it each successful this week for sure."

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Gary Woodland hits balls astatine nan believe installation during a believe information for nan Masters Tournament astatine Augusta National Golf Club successful Augusta, Georgia, connected April 7, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)

However, Woodland besides acknowledged that nan crowds and adjacent quarters astatine Augusta National could beryllium triggering.

"It's a large week for maine this week," he said. "The fans are very adjacent connected nan tee boxes. There's a batch going on. There's astir apt not a safer play tourney successful nan world, truthful I'm happy for that. But it's still a conflict successful my caput if I'm safe aliases not. That's a reliable pill to swallow."

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Woodland, who won nan 2019 U.S. Open, precocious revealed that he has battled post-traumatic accent upset for astir a year. In 2023, he underwent a process to region a benign encephalon lesion that triggered seizures, worry and fear.

But moreover aft nan surgery, Woodland’s symptoms persisted, starring to a PTSD diagnosis.

Gary Woodland hits retired of nan bunker connected nan 2nd spread during a believe information for nan Masters Tournament astatine Augusta National Golf Club successful Augusta, Ga., connected April 6, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)

Woodland, 41, spent portion of his week astatine Augusta National gathering pinch information officials.

"The main woody is they were showing maine wherever information is," Woodland said. "The full woody for maine is it's visual, right? If I tin spot somebody, past I tin punctual myself that I'm safe constantly. So, I person a bully thought now wherever information is connected each hole."

Woodland described a caller tense agelong astatine nan Houston Open 2 weeks ago, erstwhile he was connected precocious alert precocious successful his 2nd round.

Gary Woodland chips onto nan greenish connected nan eighth spread during nan last information of nan Texas Children's Houston Open play tourney successful Houston, Texas, connected March 29, 2026. (Erik Williams/Imagn Images)

"I battled nan past 10 holes reasoning group were trying to termination me," Woodland said. "I person information pinch me. But I talked to [PGA] Tour information that night, and I told them what I was going through. Every clip I looked up connected nan weekend, my information squad was down me."

The triumph astatine past month’s tourney secured Woodland nan past spot successful nan highly competitory Masters field.

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Months earlier undergoing room successful 2023, Woodland vanished tied for 14th astatine that year’s Masters. He missed nan trim astatine Augusta National successful 2024 and besides fell short of qualifying for past year’s Masters.

"I'm affectional from nan standpoint I cognize really adjacent I astir apt was to ne'er being backmost here, and I'm very proud of myself for earning my measurement back," Woodland noted. "People inquire me, 'How was nan win?' The 1 point I cognize is having this encephalon tumor and having PTSD, it doesn't matter if I triumph aliases lose. It doesn't care."

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