Gary Woodland is feeling good again.
That alone is reason to smile.
Woodland had surgery in September 2023 to remove tumors in a part of the brain that triggered fear and anxiety, and he’s been working his way back into form ever since. The four-time Tour winner has struggled for much of the season, recording just two top-25 finishes in 23 previous starts this year. But he’s coming off his best finish of the season, a T-16, at the Sanderson Farms Championship two years ago.
On Saturday, Woodland shot a bogey-free 6-under 65 at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas thanks to a hot putter to improve to 14-under 1999. He gained over 3 ½ shots on the field with the flat-stick, ranking first during the third round and gained more than 5 strokes through 54 holes.
Shriners: Leaderboard | Photos
“The last month has been really good,” said Woodland, who turned 40 in May. “I just hit a year (since the surgery) a couple weeks ago so that’s exciting. It’s all coming together. I’m feeling better and the game is coming around, which makes a lot of sense. I’m excited and happy to be here and really happy to finish tonight so I can get some sleep tomorrow.”
Woodland also credited that he has returned to working with swing instructor Randy Smith, the longtime coach of Scottie Scheffler.
It’s hard to believe that Woodland’s last win came at the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach but he’ll have a chance to break his drought on Sunday.
“Everything is starting to come together,” Woodland said. “I feel a lot better for one. That’s a one. That’s a huge help. But I’ve seen some signs. I’ve been back with Randy Smith for a couple months now. I am starting to drive it better, iron play, controlling the golf ball like I haven’t in a long time, which is nice. Then putts start going in, start putting some good scores up.”
As my colleague Riley Hamel put it, “If you’re looking for someone to root for on Sunday, look no further than Gary Woodland.”
