AUGUSTA, Ga. — After Gary Woodland played the final 10 holes of the Texas Children’s Houston Open “thinking people were trying to kill me,” Augusta National is taking precautions to prevent that from happening this week.
A spectator behind the ropes got close to Woodland two weeks ago, triggering his hypervigilance. He had to be calmed by his caddie, assured he was safe and shown he was being protected by security.
Following the round, he broke down and cried in the scoring area.
“I got hypervigilant on the 9th hole, and I battled the last 10 holes thinking people were trying to kill me,” Woodland said April 7, two days before the start of the Masters.
Woodland talked to security at the Houston tournament, explaining the surgery he had late in 2023 in which doctors were unable to remove the entire tumor that was pushing on the part of his brain that controls fear and anxiety, leaving him struggling with PTSD.
That was enough to assure him that he was safe. Every time he looked around during that weekend, security was in the area.
Which makes the end result — Woodland’s first victory on the PGA Tour in nearly seven years, dating to the 2019 U.S. Open — even more remarkable and inspiring.
That also has allowed Woodland, and his team, to explain to Augusta National officials the measures they can take to make sure the 41-year-old Delray Beach resident feels safe at an event in which he will be surrounded by fans every step.
“They were showing me where security is,” he said. “The whole deal for me is it’s visual, right? If I can see somebody, then I can remind myself that I’m safe constantly. So I have a good idea now where security is on every hole. The big deal for me, my caddie knows, too. So he can constantly remind me.”
Woodland explained how he doesn’t have control when this occurs.
“It can be a fan. It can be a walking scorer. It can be a camera guy running by me,” he said “Just any startlement from behind me can trigger this pretty quickly.
“Knowing where security is, is a constant reminder that I’m safe.”
Especially at Augusta National the week of the Masters.
“It’s a big week for me,” Woodland said. “The fans are very close on the tee boxes. There’s a lot going on. There’s probably not a safer golf tournament in the world, so I’m happy for that, but it’s still a battle in my head if I’m safe or not. That’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Gary Woodland vowed to make sure brain tumor did not win over golf
Gary Woodland is making his 13th Masters start. But none has defined his journey or explained his story more than when he tees off at 1:44 p.m. April 9 in a group with Scottie Scheffler and Robert McIntyre.
Golf is secondary now for Woodland, which is ironic since he says his game is “as complete as it’s ever been.”
But it is important because it, along with his family, gives him a purpose.
“When I was diagnosed with this brain tumor three years ago, my number one thought was I wasn’t going to let this thing win,” Woodland said. “I’ve dreamed of being a professional athlete since I was a little kid, and I would do everything in my power to live that dream for my childhood self.
“Golf has given me something a lot more to fight for than just myself and my family. I love being out here. I love the guys. I love competing. And the thought of losing that is hard. There’s been times where I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it, but I was going to fight and give it everything I had.”
Which makes this Masters the most exhilarating, emotional and meaningful.
Why? Why is Woodland showing more emotion now than he ever has at Augusta, even when he played in the Masters just seven months after his surgery?
“I’m in a different spot than I’ve been in a long time,” he said. “Coming back in ’24 I was still fresh from surgery. I just didn’t know what the future held. Now I know the fight I’m in.”
Woodland had to remind himself not to get emotional before continuing.
“I know what I’m battling every day. People ask me how was the win? The one thing I know is having this brain tumor and having PTSD, it doesn’t matter if I win or lose. It doesn’t care. I had a tough time last week battling this stuff. A lot of stimulation comes with winning, stuff I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“I’m emotional from the standpoint I know how close I probably was to never being back here, and I’m very proud of myself for earning my way back.”
Gary Woodland’s record at the Masters does not matter
At this point, the question might be asked about Woodland’s record at the Masters. None of that matters, and it would be trivial to even discuss.
What matters is Woodland has handled his diagnosis, surgery and recovery with grace and poise. His transparency has been extraordinary. And he is not through.
Woodland will continue to share his journey, especially after the response he received after coming out with his PTSD in March during an interview with Golf Channel.
“Not what I expected,” he said.
Woodland is overwhelmed with the support, the messages from others who are struggling and are grateful for how much his story helped them.
“It just shows that everybody is going through something,” he said. “Everybody’s battling something. Whether it’s way bigger or way less, it doesn’t matter what you’re battling. To you it’s important.”
Then Gary Woodland said something that perfectly portrays his story and his profound impact on others.
“Winning the U.S. Open in ’19 had the biggest impact in my life from a golf standpoint. There’s no doubt,” he said.
“I hope winning in Houston had a bigger impact on somebody else’s life. I hope somebody that’s struggling with something sees this guy out here fighting every day and still living his dreams, and then they want to get up there and fight and live their dream, too. I really from the bottom of my heart hope that happens.”
It already has.
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.The Masters
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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Masters will be extra vigilant with security around Gary Woodland
Reporting by Tom D’Angelo, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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