Gary Woodland's Emotional Houston Open Triumph After Brain Surgery
Gary Woodland delivered a heartfelt tribute to his wife, Gabby Granado, following his remarkable victory at the Texas Children's Houston Open on Sunday. This win marks the 41-year-old golfer's first triumph since his U.S. Open success in 2019, coming just two weeks after he publicly revealed his struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder following brain surgery in 2023.
A Poignant Victory Celebration
Woodland secured a commanding five-shot victory after cruising through the final round, but the emotional floodgates opened once the winning putt dropped. He shared a poignant embrace with his wife before breaking down in tears as the magnitude of his accomplishment became overwhelming. Speaking to NBC afterward, Woodland made it abundantly clear how crucial his wife and support team have been to his extraordinary comeback journey.
"I wouldn't be anywhere before this without them," Woodland stated emphatically. "There's no chance I could do this without Gabby, for sure. This has been hard on me; this has been a lot harder on her, and I love her to death."
He continued with heartfelt appreciation: "I'll tell you what, we play an individual sport out here, but I wasn't alone today. I've got a lot of people behind me, my team, my family and this golf world."
The Challenging Journey Back
Woodland underwent surgery in 2023 to remove a benign brain tumor, making his return to the PGA Tour the following year. However, the struggle persisted, and last year he received a PTSD diagnosis. In a candid interview with Golf Channel just two weeks before his Houston Open victory, Woodland spoke openly about his ongoing challenges, including recounting a particularly harrowing incident at the Procore Championship in September.
"We were playing in Napa [California]," Woodland recalled. "We were there for the Ryder Cup, the whole team was there and I was playing with a couple of guys and on the Friday, I was hypervigilant. The walking scorer startled me because he got close to me from behind."
He described the distressing moment: "Then I couldn't remember what I was doing. My eyesight started to get blurry and I just started balling [my eyes out] in the middle of the fairway. It was my turn to hit and I couldn't. I went into the bathroom to cry for the rest of the day. When it was done I got in my car and got out of there."
Continuing the Healing Process
Woodland had previously explained: "I'm still struggling. Obviously about three years ago now we found the lesion on my brain. The doctors removed as much as they could and the part that was causing me to have seizures."
He elaborated on his ongoing battle: "I've still battled symptoms and a year ago now I was diagnosed with PTSD and it's been hard. It was a battle that I didn't understand, I'm starting to learn and understand now."
It was these moments of anguish in isolation that motivated Woodland to speak publicly about his struggles, explaining he could no longer "waste energy anymore hiding this." Sunday proved to be a landmark day for Woodland and his loved ones, as he also secured his spot at the Masters tournament, though he remains keenly aware that his journey toward healing is far from complete.
Woodland reflected: "It's just another day, right, that I've got to keep healing. Today was a good day. But I'm going to keep fighting. 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 concluded with an inspiring message for others facing similar challenges: "Anybody that's struggling with something, I hope they see me and don't give up, just keep fighting."
