{"id":532932,"date":"2026-03-11T09:02:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T09:02:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/532932\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T09:02:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T09:02:20","slug":"an-emotional-gary-woodland-comes-forward-with-ptsd-diagnosis-australian-golf-digest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/532932\/","title":{"rendered":"An emotional Gary Woodland comes forward with PTSD diagnosis \u2013 Australian Golf Digest"},"content":{"rendered":"

[Photo: Mike Ehrmann]<\/p>\n

Gary Woodland revealed on Golf Channel on Monday evening (US time) that he is battling post-traumatic stress disorder.<\/p>\n

Woodland underwent surgery in 2023 to remove a brain lesion and returned to the PGA Tour the next year. However, in an emotional interview with Golf Channel\u2019s Rex Hoggard, Woodland said he has been struggling with anxiety and hyper-awareness since the procedure, and last year was finally diagnosed with PTSD from neurological trauma.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Gary Woodland swing sequence<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t waste energy anymore hiding this, and I\u2019m blessed with a lot of support out here on the tour,\u201d Woodland said. \u201cEveryone\u2019s just been amazing. Every week I come out and everyone\u2019s so excited and happy that I\u2019m back. I hear that every week \u2013 It\u2019s so nice to see you past this, it\u2019s so nice to see you 100 percent \u2013 and I appreciate that love and support. But inside, I feel like I\u2019m dying, and I feel like I\u2019m living a lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gary Woodland sits down with Rex Hoggard to discuss his struggle with PTSD following brain surgery in September of 2023. pic.twitter.com\/zf7A3EFulk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) March 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

To illustrate what he\u2019s going through, Woodland described an encounter at last year\u2019s tour stop in Napa, California, where he was serving as an assistant to Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley. A walking scorer accidentally approached from behind. The startled response was immediate: Woodland\u2019s vision blurred, and he wasn\u2019t sure he could continue the round.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was my turn to hit and I couldn\u2019t hit,\u201d Woodland said. \u201cButch (caddie Brennan Little) said, \u2018Let\u2019s go in.\u2019 I said, \u2018No man, I\u2019m here for these guys. I want to fight through this.\u2019\u201d However, Woodland said he kept popping into bathrooms on the course to cry. \u201cWhen I got done, I got in my car and got out of there,\u201d Woodland explained. \u201cThere are days when it\u2019s tough \u2013 crying in the scoring trailer, running to my car just to hide it. I don\u2019t want to live that way anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

The PGA Tour is aware of his diagnosis and has taken steps to keep him safe on the course. Woodland said his doctors have recommended avoiding high-stress situations \u2013 a difficult prescription for a professional golfer \u2013 but that stepping away has never entered his thinking. \u201cIn an ideal world I\u2019m probably not playing,\u201d Woodland said. \u201cBut in an ideal world I don\u2019t have this. This is my dream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woodland said he\u2019s coming forward now to take the anxiety off himself from having to hide his condition, while also providing hope for others in the same situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope somebody that\u2019s struggling sees me out here still fighting and battling and trying to live my dreams,\u201d Woodland said. \u201cI\u2019ve talked to veterans, and one thing I\u2019ve heard from multiple people is you can\u2019t do this on your own, no matter how strong you think you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Woodland, 41, is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour and captured the 2019 US Open. He has made five starts this season, making cuts at the American Express and WM Phoenix Open. He is in this week\u2019s Players Championship field.<\/p>\n