Gary Woodland during the 2023 Wyndham Championship. | Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Gary Woodland underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor on Monday, and he has since been resting and recuperating.
At the end of August, Gary Woodland announced that he would be undergoing surgery to remove a lesion doctors found on his brain.
That operation occurred on Monday. His family then provided an update on his status following the procedure.
“After a long surgery today, the majority of the tumor has been removed and he is currently resting,” a statement posted to his Twitter account reads.
“At this time, the family requests space and privacy to be together. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as he gets started on the road to recovery.”
Woodland, who won the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, received this diagnosis a few months ago. Doctors prescribed medication to help treat his symptoms, which he did not disclose.
However, after consulting with specialists, Woodland and his family decided surgery was the best course of action.
“I’m in good spirits with my family and team by my side and so thankful for the love and support of everyone,” Woodland wrote in a post on Aug. 30.
Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
Gary Woodland celebrates after holing the winning putt at the 2019 U.S. Open.
Woodland did not have his best season in 2023, as he did not qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. His last competitive rounds came at the Wyndham Championship, where he tied for 27th.
As for the majors, the former Kansas Jayhawk finished in a tie for 14th at Augusta National, missed the cut at the PGA Championship, and made the weekend at both the U.S. Open and Open Championship.
But his health is infinitely more important than his results.
Let’s hope Woodland makes a full and speedy recovery so that he returns to the PGA Tour in 2024.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
