Gary Woodland won the Houston Open in style on Sunday.
Woodland’s victory was one of the best feel-good stories in professional golf in recent memory.
The 41-year-old opened up to the world at The Players Championship earlier this month about the struggles he’s going through with PTSD right now, following the brain surgery he underwent in 2023.
The fact that Woodland is competing right now, let alone winning, is a truly remarkable feat.
His victory at the Houston Open was the culmination of a lot of hard work, his willingness to be vulnerable and incredible amounts of perseverance.
Woodland’s win at the Houston Open was a very popular one among golf fans and his fellow PGA Tour pros alike.
The quality of golf he displayed was truly exceptional and he thoroughly deserved his first win since his U.S. Open triumph in 2019.
What Gary Woodland did during the final round at the Houston Open was ‘absurd’
Woodland is hitting the ball better than he ever has before right now.
One of the most impressive things about the 41-year-old is the prodigious power and speed he has been producing.
Woodland has credited Randy Smith, his coach, with helping him rediscover his explosive power off the tee.
Incredibly, he leads the PGA Tour in both driving distance and ball speed this season at 41 years old!
And he was once again in imperious form off the tee in Houston last week.
On the third hole of the final round at the Houston Open, Woodland launched a 366-yard missile down the middle of the fairway after clocking a 196 mph ball-speed.
Smylie Kaufman took to his X account and labelled the drive as ‘absurd’.
A truly remarkable feat from Woodland and one that clearly helped him achieve his first victory for seven years.
Gary Woodland’s achievements should not be taken for granted
Woodland is currently ahead of some of the longest hitters in the game in both the driving distance and ball-speed categories.
Names like Aldrich Potgieter, Nicolai Hojgaard, Michael Brennan, and Rasmus Hojgaard all trail the 41-year-old from Topeka, Kansas, this year in the speed and distance departments.
Woodland is swinging the golf club four mph faster than he was in the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
That means he is flying the ball roughly 10 yards further through the air this season.
What Gary Woodland is doing right now should not be underestimated.
Not only is he the longest hitter on the PGA Tour, but he has just returned to the winners’ circle after a seven-year hiatus, having undergone brain surgery and battling with PTSD in the process.