Woodland claims emotional first PGA Tour title since brain surgery

Gary Woodland ended his seven-year wait for a fifth PGA Tour title with an emotional victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, his first win since brain surgery.

Woodland carded a three-under 67 at the Memorial Park Golf Course to finish on 21 under, five clear of Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard, securing his first worldwide win since the 2019 US Open.

The victory secures Woodland an invite to The Masters next month at Augusta National and caps a remarkable comeback for the American, who took a competitive leave from the sport in 2023 and underwent surgery to remove a lesion on the brain.

• Final leaderboard: Texas Children's Houston Open
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Woodland returned to the PGA Tour the following January but has struggled with the aftermath of his surgery, with the 42-year-old revealing earlier this month that he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during his recovery.

He has since admitted that making his diagnosis public left him "feeling a thousand pounds lighter", with Woodland now celebrating a fifth PGA Tour title and moving inside the top 25 in the FedExCup standings.

Hojgaard finished runner-up ahead of Johnny Keefer and defending champion Min Woo Lee, who made a final-hole birdie to move into tied-third, with Sam Stevens in fifth spot after back-to-back 67s over the weekend.

More to follow...

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