(Reuters) – Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland has been named the recipient of the PGA Tour Courage Award on Wednesday for his return to full-time competition on the U.S.-based circuit following brain surgery in 2023.
Woodland started experiencing symptoms in May 2023 and testing revealed a brain lesion pressing on the part of the brain that controlled fear and anxiety.
As his symptoms worsened, Woodland elected to undergo a craniotomy in September 2023 where doctors removed a majority of the tumor, confirmed it was benign and cut off the blood supply to prevent future growth.
Woodland returned to competition in January 2024 and went on to record three top-25 finishes in 26 starts during the 2024 PGA Tour season, highlighted by a share of ninth place at last October’s Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.
The 40-year-old Woodland was presented with the award by PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan ahead of his start in this week’s Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
“It’s everything to me because — sorry,” an emotional Woodland, whose eyes welled with tears, said before taking a moment to compose himself. “It’s been a hard journey for me. The last couple of years has been really hard.
“Receiving this is a testament to the people around me because there’s no way, one, I’d be back playing or no way I’d be sitting here today if it wasn’t for them.”
The Courage Award is not presented annually by the PGA Tour but reserved for individuals who overcome adversity, such as personal tragedy or debilitating injury or illness, to make a significant and meaningful contribution to the game of golf.
Woodland is the seventh recipient of the award, which was established in 2012, joining Erik Compton (2013), Jarrod Lyle (2015), Gene Sauers (2017), Morgan Hoffmann (2020), D.J. Gregory (2022) and Chris Kirk (2023).
“He’s overcome so many challenges which is nothing short of miraculous,” said Monahan. “He continues to manage symptoms associated with his initial diagnosis while competing, and competing very well, at the highest level of professional golf.
“Gary Woodland is a constant inspiration to us all. He’s an inspiration to his family, he’s an inspiration to his friends, he’s an inspiration to his peers. In that regard I’d say it’s hard to find a player on the PGA Tour that’s more admired and more respected.”
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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