Former KU golfer Woodland surges to best finish on PGA Tour since his brain surgery
Former University of Kansas golfer Gary Woodland continued his remarkable comeback from brain surgery, finishing in a tie for second on Sunday at the PGA Tour’s Texas Children’s Houston Open.
The 40-year-old Woodland matched a course-record 8-under-par 62 in the final round at Memorial Park Golf Course, charging from six strokes back and nearly forcing a playoff on the tourney’s fourth and final day.
He shared second place with the world’s No. 1-rated golfer, Scottie Scheffler, at 19-under-par 261, one stroke back of winner Min Woo Lee.
Woodland underwent brain surgery just 18 months ago.
“It was great just to get those juices flowing again, just to see some results for that matter,” Woodland said as quoted by pgatour.com. He was speaking after securing his best finish on the PGA Tour since winning the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
“I’ve worked my tail off when I’ve been able to … It was nice to finally see it. It’s one thing to tell yourself and to believe it, but it’s another thing to see it in person. I saw it and felt everything that I wanted to feel today.”
Woodland, a Topeka native who turned pro in 2007 after graduating from KU (he joined the PGA Tour in 2009), had a craniotomy on Sept. 19, 2023. During the lengthy surgical procedure, a tumor was removed.
He returned to the PGA Tour at the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii, placing 140th in that year’s FedExCup Fall standings.
Sunday’s finish was his first appearance in the top five since March 2022. It marked the first time he was in serious contention for a title on the final day of a PGA event since surgery.
Woodland, who returned from his surgery to start the PGA Tour season last year, had one top-10 finish and missed 11 cuts during 2024. He entered this week in Houston having missed the cut in three of his past four starts.
He was unstoppable Sunday, with seven birdies and an eagle in his final round.
After tapping in for birdie on the 72nd hole following a rocket 2-iron to within 2 feet, Woodland, according to pgatour.com tapped his chest then waved to a cheering gallery.
“It was as good as I’ve felt on a golf course in a long time,” Woodland said. “The game was great, but I was able to slow down. I was able to slow my thoughts down and it’s been a while for me for that.
“I’m thankful to be out here,” Woodland added, speaking to reporters in his post-round interview session in Houston. “I am extremely blessed to play this game for a living, to travel the world, to be around the people that are out here that are supporting me. And my family’s here. My son’s in first grade, so they don’t travel much anymore. This is spring break for them and they were here. I thought they were leaving, so to see them when I got done, that’s what I’m fighting for, right? That’s why I’m out here, to prove to them that you can overcome anything and you’ve just got to keep fighting, and I think I showed a little bit of that today.”
Woodland moved from No. 95 to No. 46 on the season-long FedExCup standings. The top 100 on the FedEx Cup after the RSM Classic in November will secure exempt status for tour events for 2026. Woodland is exempt for most events through 2025 because of his 2019 U.S. Open victory.
“I’ve got big goals and big dreams, and I’m starting to see signs of my game getting to where I want it to be. I’m excited for the rest of this year for sure,” Woodland told pgatour.com. “The last thing I’m going to let this do is let this thing in my head stop my dreams, and that’s why I fight every day. I want to be there for my kids and my family, but I want to chase my dreams, too. I’ve got a lot of dreams out here.”
Woodland has not qualified for the upcoming Masters. His previous exemption for that event (winning the 2019 U.S. Open) has expired.
“I’m exhausted, I need to rest,” he said Sunday. “I’m a little overwhelmed right now, probably. I haven’t been in contention for a long time. But it takes a lot for me to slow everything down, and I was able to do that, but it’s a lot of work and I’m very tired right now. So I’m looking forward to getting into bed and getting some rest.”
Woodland has career earnings of $35,599,467. He played one season of basketball at Washburn before joining KU’s golf team.
The golf complex at KU is named the Gary Woodland Golf Complex. He has been one of the biggest financial supporters of KU men’s and women’s golf.
