Gary Woodland captures emotional win at Houston Open
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Gary Woodland of the United States poses with the trophy on the 18th green after winning the Texas Children's Houston Open.
Getty Images via AFP
HOUSTON – Gary Woodland not only won a golf tournament on Sunday, but he conquered a whole lot more.
He shot three-under 67 in the final round of the Houston Open to win on the PGA Tour for the first time in nearly seven years. During that gap, he underwent 2023 brain surgery.
The American recently shared that he is coping with post-traumatic stress disorder, so the victory was understandably ripe with emotion.
“We play an individual sport out here, but I wasn’t alone today,” Woodland said.
“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.”
The 41-year-old finished at 21-under 259 for four rounds at Memorial Park Golf Course, where he tied for second place last year.
He won by five strokes over Denmark’s Nicolai Hojgaard, who carded 71 for the final round.
It was Woodland’s fifth victory on the PGA Tour, but first since the 2019 US Open. The brain surgery involved removing a tumor.
“I’ve got a big fight ahead of me and I’m going to keep going, but I’m proud of myself right now,” he added.
What Woodland has been through in the surgery’s aftermath has gained him admirers among his golf peers.
“Just really look up to him as a mate who put it out there just a couple weeks ago on television, what he’s dealing with,” Australia’s Adam Scott said. “It is inspirational.”
Johnny Keefer shot 64 to rise to a third-place tie at 15 under with defending champion Min Woo Lee of Australia (67). Sam Stevens (67) was fifth at 14 under.
Jake Knapp (62), Chris Gotterup (65), Australia’s Jason Day (68) and Canada’s Sudarshan Yellamaraju (67) all were at 13 under and tied for sixth.
It was a disappointing result from Michael Thorbjornsen, who was in position prior to the round to rise into a high enough spot to qualify for next month’s Masters.
Thorbjornsen, needing to move from No. 56 in the world rankings to the top 50, was seeking to tie for fifth or better. Instead, he had a double bogey on No. 8 and three bogeys during a four-hole stretch on the back nine to finish with 72. He tied for 14th at 10 under.
Scott, meanwhile, had a hole-in-one on the 11th hole. It was his third ace on the PGA Tour, but first in 14 years.
“It was actually hard to see the flag mixed in with the people and the crowd, but we heard it go in,” said Scott, who posted 71 to end at eight under for the tournament. REUTERS
