4 days ago
3
Gary Woodland knows it’s not going to be easy for him out on the course this week at the Masters.
Not only is he competing in the biggest tournament of the season, but fans will be back into Augusta National. Large galleries will be surrounding the course, near greens and tee boxes, with all of their attention on him. That is often a trigger for Woodland.
Advertisement
The 41-year-old revealed last month that he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, something that's been impacting him significantly out on the golf course. That came after he had brain surgery to remove a lesion in 2023, which was triggering seizures and leading to terrifying symptoms that left him anxious and afraid he was going to die.
But two weeks ago, Woodland won the Houston Open by five shots in what was his first win since his health issues started. That, naturally, led to a very emotional scene on the green.
“People ask me, ‘How was the win?’ The one thing I know is having this brain tumor and having PTSD, it doesn't matter if I win or lose. It doesn't care,” Woodland said on Tuesday at Augusta National. “I had a tough time last week battling this stuff. A lot of stimulation comes with winning, stuff I hadn't seen in a long time.”
Advertisement
Woodland said that at the Houston Open that he played about half of his round that Friday “thinking people were trying to kill” him out on the course due to his PTSD.
But Woodland said he’s worked with both Tour security and the security at Augusta National to help him out ahead of the Masters so he can be as prepared as possible. The issues are largely visual for him, and “if I can see somebody, then I can remind myself that I’m safe constantly.”
It’s when someone sneaks up on him accidentally, like a scoreboard walker or a camera operator, that Woodland has trouble.
“It's a big week for me this week,” he said. “The fans are very close on the tee boxes. There's a lot going on. There's probably not a safer golf tournament in the world, so I'm happy for that, but it's still a battle in my head if I'm safe or not. That's a tough pill to swallow.”
Advertisement
Woodland has won five times on the PGA Tour in his career, and he’ll enter the Masters with back-to-back top-20 finishes under his belt. Woodland, now No. 52 in the Official World Golf Rankings, has missed the cut at Augusta National in six of his last eight starts there.
His win in Houston earned him a spot in the Masters, too. It ended up being the last spot in the field.
“I fought hard earlier this year with some struggles, and that's hard, that's a hard pill to swallow that this thing could be taken away from me for something that's out of my control,” he said. “Houston was a big step in the right direction, just from a confidence standpoint, that even with hard days, I can still compete.”
Advertisement
As for any advice he’d give those who are struggling with something, Woodland’s answer was simple.
“Talk to somebody. We live in a world, as men and especially as an athlete, that you put your head down and you fight through it. I've done it my whole life,” Woodland said. “This is honestly one battle that I'm not able to do on my own. I tried, and it wasn't working … To talk to somebody. You don't have to fight this on your own.”
.jpg?mbid=social_retweet)
English (US)