Gary Woodland Has Shown the World the Strength in Speaking Up

Jim “Bones” McKay has been on the PGA TOUR since 1990. After nearly four decades, you’d think he’d seen everything. But on Sunday at Memorial Park, he experienced a first.

As the final group approached the 18th green, the applause didn’t just come from the gallery. It came from inside the ropes. Nicolai Højgaard and Min Woo Lee—Gary Woodland’s playing partners in the final round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open—joined in, clapping for the man they were competing against.

Lee even raised his hands, urging the crowd to get louder, like an NFL defender calling for noise.

It wasn’t for show. It wasn’t theater. It was respect. Because three weeks earlier, Gary Woodland had done something far more difficult than winning a golf tournament.

Ahead of The Players Championship, he revealed to the golf world that he had been battling PTSD following brain surgery in 2023. He spoke openly about the anxiety, the fear, and what it felt like to no longer feel safe on the golf course.

For many men, internal battles are often fought alone. In the name of strength, some grow up carrying it quietly. On Sunday, Woodland reminded us that talking about it is worth it, and that more often than not, you'll be met with open arms.

With the weight of his secret now gone, Woodland made his par putt at the last following a "Gary, Gary, Gary" chant from the crowd. In a moment of relief, he looked to the sky. Then cried on his wife's shoulder. A moment undoubtedly more satisfying than his winning putt.

Golf aside, if you wake up worrying about making it back to bed, let Sunday be an example of what happens when you choose to lean on others. When you push through the fear of embarrassment that you believe comes with honesty. Woodland himself said it best Sunday afternoon:

“Anybody that's struggling with something, I hope they see me and don't give up. Just keep fighting.”