Gary Woodland Inspires All with His Incredible Victory

A lot has happened since Jun 16, 2019.

That's the date of Gary Woodland's last win - the 2019 U.S. Open at famed Pebble Beach. And while he has played well for the last 7 years, including a T8 at the 2019 PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, a T10 at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club, and was a Vice Captain at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, it is what happened outside the ropes that makes his victory at the 2026 Houston Open so special.

In 2023, Gary revealed to the public that he had been diagnosed with a brain lesion and subsequently underwent brain surgery and endured a lengthy and challenging recovery. For his courage and strength in the face of serious adversity, Gary was awarded the PGA TOUR Courage Award in 2025. Gary continued to show his resolve earlier in 2026, when he revealed that he was diagnosed with PTSD as part of his struggle with the mental and emotional toll following his brain surgery. At every step of his recovery, Gary has proved to be an inspiration to others.

Another aspect of Gary's incredible win includes his PGA Coach Randy Smith, with whom Gary has been working with again for the last 18 months. In his press conference, Gary shared how Randy has been helping him return to top form, including dialing in his tempo, getting over poor shots and playing fearlessly.

It appears that he's following his coach's advice with how he played this week.

After his win he shared, "Randy's got me in a spot now, my game's better than it's ever been. Obviously I've got to battle some stuff with that, he's more than a golf coach to me."

This story is much more than just Gary's (and his caddie Brennan Little, PGA) win and earning a spot at Aronimink. This win serves as an example to anyone facing adversity to keep going and keep working toward their dreams, on and off the course, just like Gary Woodland.