On Sunday, one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour scored one of the most emotional wins in recent memory. Gary Woodland overcame a formidable opponent en route to his first win since 2019 at the 2026 Houston Open, but that victory came just three weeks after he gave his soul in an emotional interview.
After holding the lead through the 36th and 54th hole in Houston, Woodland posted a tournament-record total score of 259 (21 under) at Memorial Park Golf Course, earning a five-stroke victory over Nikolai Huygaard. This victory not only puts him back in the winner’s circle for the first time since the 2019 U.S. Open. This was another big step forward for Woodland, who has been dealing with more than just the weekly pressures that come with playing on the PGA Tour.
In September 2023, Woodland underwent surgery to remove a brain lesion and returned to competition the following season at the Sony Open. His actions earned him the 2025 PGA Tour Courage Award, but the 41-year-old told Golf Channel at The Players Championship earlier this month that he has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr Woodland detailed the mental and emotional strain caused by the surgery, revealing that he suffered from side effects such as anxiety and hyper-awareness. Woodland reached the point where he wanted to walk off the golf course while on the field with the U.S. Ryder Cup team at last fall’s Pro Core Championship. (He served as co-captain of the U.S. team in New York last fall.)
“We play an individual sport here, but I wasn’t alone today,” Woodland said after missing his final putt. “I’ve had so many people supporting me in this world of golf, including my team and my family. If you’re struggling with something, I hope you look at me and don’t give up. Just keep fighting.”
He continued, “It’s just another day, you know? I just have to keep being a heel. Today was a good day, but I want to keep fighting. I have big matches coming up and I’m going to keep fighting, but I’m proud of who I am right now.”
The PGA Tour then took additional measures against Woodland, and the 41-year-old began to make progress. He said his revealing interview this week took a huge weight off his back and expressed gratitude for the response he received from colleagues and fans.
Woodland’s victories can’t be quantified just by the winner’s check or trophy. However, apart from these benefits, it also comes with additional perks. The win was Woodland’s fifth of his career, moving him up to No. 25 in the FedEx Cup standings and earning him an invitation to the 2026 Masters two weeks later.
From 2011 to 2024, Woodland played in 12 of the 14 Masters, returning to Augusta National after missing last year’s tournament.
After a round of 64 wins, 63 losses, and 65 losses, Woodland entered the final round with a narrow one-stroke lead over Huigo. The advantage was immediately called into question as the overnight leader found himself losing position on the opening hole. Facing a 15-foot par putt, Woodland curled with a right-to-left sidewinder to secure par and calmed down for the round.
From there, Woodland rarely made mistakes. He uncovered the birdie bin with a nice convert from 11 feet on the par-4 fifth, then opened the floodgates a few holes later. While Hugo struggled from a greenside bunker and ended up making double bogey, Woodland rose to the occasion and made his second birdie of the afternoon from 25 feet.
He left the green with a five-stroke lead. There was another birdie on the par-5 8th and another birdie on the par-3 9th. From a one-shot lead in jeopardy on the first hole, Woodland built a six-shot lead heading into the back nine. He scored 31 points, his lowest score on the front nine this week.
The lead widened again when Hoygaard bogeyed the 10th, and as both players traded par on the next hole, the lead began to reflect the number of holes remaining.
Although the leaderboard seemed to be in control, Woodland still needed to overcome its internal battles. This week he scored wins both between the ropes and between the ears. Grade: A+
Here are the remaining players to watch on the 2026 Houston Open leaderboard:
2. Nikolai Huygaard (-16): The young Dane likely entered this week with two goals in mind: (1) secure a spot at the Masters, and (2) earn his first PGA Tour victory. According to the Official World Golf Ranking, he achieved his first goal with relative ease, but his second goal was wasted as he did not look comfortable early in the final round. This close call result marks the fourth runner-up finish in his young career and marks another step in his belt of experience. He’s only 25 years old and is quietly becoming a solid contender week in and week out. Grade: A
T6. Jake Knapp (-13): One of the hottest players in the first two months of the season, Knapp took a step back after missing the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to a back injury. His stretch in Florida may not have ended the way he had hoped, but his play in Houston ended as a round of 62, tied for the lowest in tournament history on Sunday at Memorial Park. Despite being known for his length, Knapp surprisingly struggled off the tee, relying instead on iron play and putting — a welcome sight on the eve of his second Masters appearance.
“I still didn’t necessarily drive great, but I was able to control distance and hit the greens well and give myself a lot of good looks,” Knapp said. “I tried to play aggressive. It was like I had nothing to lose. I was getting ready for Augusta (National) in a few weeks, and I just tried to hit the shots that were called for on most holes. Yeah, I was able to believe in that and give myself a chance, knowing that I was hitting well and playing well.” Grade: A-
T14. Michael Thorbjornsen (-10): It couldn’t have come at a worse time for Thorbjornsen, the only player in the top 20 to card an over-par round on Sunday (72nd). He needed to finish at least 11th solo to break into the OWGR top 50 and earn an invite to the Masters, but the powerful right-hander took a wrong turn Sunday and fell outside the magic number. He made an early challenge with a birdie on No. 3, but a double-bogey 7 on No. 8 meant there was next to no chance of a mistake on the back nine. His play this week was probably better than the results. It’s very similar to The Players Championship, where he was in the final group on Sunday but finished outside the top 20. Grade: B-
T39. Tony Finau (-6): The former tournament champion is starting to play better golf. Finau has fallen outside the top 100 at OWGR after a dismal 2025 with only one top-10 finish, but there are signs that he is turning a corner. Finau, who arrived in Houston finishing in the top 20 in three of the last six tournaments, missed out on that performance this week, but he hovered around the leaderboard for much of the tournament, with his ball-striking doing most of the work. Grade: C
M.C. Brooks Koepka: He arrived on a high with three consecutive top-20 finishes and a stroke-gained approach that took him to the top of the PGA Tour. Despite his confidence, Koepka left Houston with some questions after the five-time major champion never threatened the cut line after starting with a 75. The putter took a step back, and the sharpness that had slowly begun to emerge in the Florida game began to dull. He will now head to Augusta National, where he missed the cut last season and failed to play on the weekend in three of the past five tournaments. Grade: F
