After sinking his final putt Sunday at Bellerive Golf Course, Gary Woodland couldn’t hide the smile on his face. And for good reason: the veteran is heading back to the Tour Championship seven years after he did the same. But as he spoke with Amanda Balionis about the final round, that broad grin soon gave way to an emotional struggle to hold back tears of joy. 

“I don’t really have words right now. I took a lot out there yesterday,” Woodland said. “I learned a lot from yesterday. Yesterday there was a lot of energy, a lot of noise, drones, and I was trying to block it all out, and I just couldn’t do it. Today I tried to embrace it, tried to just enjoy. I’ve had a really good year, and I’m proud of it.

“Through all the hardships that I’ve had, I’m proud of where I’m at, and I just tried to enjoy it today,” he continued, barely able to hold on to his emotions. “Outside of topping a ball, I haven’t done that in a long time. Outside of that, I played really well today. So I’m really proud of myself.”

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It’s understandable why the moment is so crucial for Woodland. Earlier this year, he revealed that he had been dealing with PTSD following the brain surgery he underwent in September 2023. Doctors had discovered a lesion on his brain that was causing him to experience irrational or unfounded feelings that he was dying.

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Although he returned to the PGA Tour and has continued playing, his recovery has been much harder internally than people realize. His PTSD has caused episodes of hypervigilance, fear, and emotional breakdowns. In one particularly revealing incident at the 2025 Procore Championship, a walking scorer approached him from behind and startled him.

This was so overwhelming that he couldn’t hit his shot and eventually went to the bathroom to cry before finishing the round. But that’s not the only reason his entry into the Tour Championship this week is special for the 42-year-old. Although he won the Texas Children’s Houston Open earlier in the season, it was his first win since his 2019 U.S. Open victory.

This obviously meant that Woodland was unable to enter the Tour Championship for the past seven years. Naturally, breaking that difficult period of his life and career almost brought him to tears. As for his performance at the BMW Championship, Woodland finished tied for fourth place with a 12-under-par total, shooting rounds of 64, 65, 70, and 69.

His strong finish helped him vault into the top 30, allowing him to secure his spot in the Tour Championship. With the Tour Championship mere days away, Woodland is ranked 18th in the FedEx Cup standings. This leap from not qualifying to being among the top reflects how well Gary Woodland was able to bounce back from not just his PTSD, but also several winless years.

That being said, all eyes will be on the 42-year-old later this week, as he makes up for lost time at East Lake.