HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA | The struggle continues for Gary Woodland but in a gently different way now.
It has been five weeks since Woodland tearfully explained his ongoing battle with post-traumatic stress disorder related to a lesion on his brain and the 2023 surgery he underwent to remove it.
Since his public unburdening of the battle he has been fighting, Woodland has finished T14 at the Valspar Championship, won the Texas Children’s Houston Open and made the cut at the Masters last weekend.
On a warm, soft Thursday on the edge of the Calibogue Sound, Woodland built on his good run by shooting 6-under-par 65 to be among the leaders in the signature RBC Heritage.
“I think my game is as complete as it’s ever been, which is nice. I’m not fighting the golf game, I’m fighting my head,” Woodland said.
“But very confident where the game is. I’m comfortable hitting multiple shots again, which is nice. I feel very comfortable with the putter, which makes everything a little bit easier.”
In the three years since Woodland went public with his initial diagnosis, his place in the game has been transformed. Golf has not become secondary but his willingness to share the challenges of his new life have resonated beyond the game.
Woodland’s story gained momentum when he was a central character in the third season of Netflix’s “Full Swing” series, allowing viewers to see him interact with his doctors and being wheeled in for scans.
“The love and support I’ve had, not only the last six weeks since all this, but for the last three years, has been amazing.” – Gary Woodland
Telling his PTSD story on Golf Channel prior to the Players Championship further endeared Woodland to a growing legion of admirers who have made a point to support him.
“I appreciate it; I’ll tell you that. The love and support I’ve had, not only the last six weeks since all this, but for the last three years, has been amazing,” Woodland said.
“I’ve needed that energy. Last week [at Augusta] took a lot out of me. I had a lot of love and support here today, and I needed every ounce of it. So I’m very thankful.”
Woodland has acknowledged that one of the challenges he faces is coping with galleries during tournament play. At the Houston event he won, Woodland struggled to finish after fans got too close behind him on the ninth tee during the second round.
The PGA Tour has put security protocols into place to help Woodland but there are still times when he is extremely uncomfortable during competition.
“Last week was tough, one of the harder weeks I’ve probably had. Patrons are very close there on a lot of those tee boxes,” Woodland said.
“Out here, it’s different for me out here. On a lot of the tee boxes we have signage at the back. I have somewhere I can stand where at least I feel pretty safe. Security last week was amazing, did everything they can to help me feel safe. The tour has done it all year, right; they’ve been amazing. They were with me today. I need it.
“I’m in a tough spot, but we’ll keep learning and we’ll keep getting better.”
There wasn’t much Woodland could have done better at Harbour Town, which underwent a series of modifications last year under the direction of five-time Heritage champion Davis Love III. Woodland hit 10 of 14 fairways on the narrow, tree-lined course, the critical first step in managing the Harbour Town puzzle.
Woodland has talked often about his thankfulness for being able to return to the PGA Tour considering the journey he is on and for the words of encouragement he continues to hear along the way.
Woodland’s limited track record at Harbour Town doesn’t suggest it is a place that plays to his powerful style (his best finish is a T31) but that is part of what he likes about the famous Pete Dye design.
“It’s one of the best courses we play on tour because it doesn’t suit anybody. It suits who plays well. You’ve got to hit golf shots,” Woodland said.
“You’ve got to hit it both ways, which that’s not every week out here. There’s some weeks you can get away with hitting certain shots. This tests every aspect of your game, and I think that’s the definition of a great golf course.”
Woodland has talked often about his thankfulness for being able to return to the PGA Tour considering the journey he is on and for the words of encouragement he continues to hear along the way.
“I’m obviously battling a lot, but it just shows there’s probably a lot of people battling a lot,” Woodland said.
“It’s nice to know you’re not alone out there.”