Gary Woodland needed a boost from the Harbour Town crowd during Thursday\u2019s opening round after an energy-draining 72 holes at Augusta National, and got just that from the Hilton Head faithful.<\/p>\n
Woodland, who is battling PTSD following September 2023 brain surgery<\/a> to remove a lesion, sits inside the top 5 at the RBC Heritage after posting a 6-under, bogey-free 65 after his first 18 holes in the South Carolina Lowcountry. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve needed that energy, last week took a lot out of me,\u201d admitted Woodland, who finished T-33 at the Masters thanks to the lowest-scoring final round of 66. \u201cI had a lot of love and support here today, and I needed every ounce of it. I\u2019m very thankful.\u201d<\/p>\n Being mistake-free would cause any player\u2019s confidence to soar but that\u2019s not exactly driving the 41-year-old Woodland\u2019s positivity at the RBC Heritage<\/a>. <\/p>\n Rather, what\u2019s freed him during this recent stretch of strong play is not having to fight what he refers to as \u201cthe golf game.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m fighting my head but very confident where the game is,\u201d said Woodland, who won at the Houston Open to qualify for Augusta<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m comfortable hitting multiple shots, again, which is nice. I feel very comfortable with the putter, which makes everything a little bit easier.<\/p>\n \u201cI think my game is as complete as it\u2019s ever been.\u201d<\/p>\n Navigating is easier when the destination is known, and while Woodland has zero idea where he may end up on this week\u2019s leaderboard \u2014 he is learning how to plot through courses where hundreds upon hundreds of external factors could trigger an episode, like the one he suffered on Friday in Houston<\/a> where he admitted to bawling his eyes out after he was set off by encroaching tournament spectators he thought were plotting to physically harm him.<\/p>\n