Gary Woodland has played some sensational golf at the Texas Children’s Houston Open this week.
Woodland has posted rounds of 64 and 63 at the Houston Open so far and he currently leads by four strokes heading into the weekend at Memorial Park.
The 41-year-old from Kansas is a hugely popular figure on the PGA Tour and so many people are pulling for him right now, after he opened up about his mental health struggles at The Players Championship two weeks ago.
Woodland is struggling with PTSD since undergoing successful brain surgery in 2023.
However, there are clearly signs that there is light at the end of the tunnel for the likeable American.
Woodland has credited Randy Smith with getting him back to his best, and he is playing some truly exceptional golf right now.
If he continues playing like he has done during the first two days at Memorial Park, he will have every chance of winning the Houston Open this week.
What Gary Woodland has noticed about the fans at the Houston Open
The 2019 U.S. Open champion addressed the media after finishing his second round in Houston on Friday.
Woodland was asked whether he feels even more support now from the fans since he opened up about his PTSD struggles since undergoing brain surgery.
“There’s no doubt,“ he said.
“There’s no doubt, and I feed off that. This as much as any week, I feel like I’ve had a lot of support. Kind of feel like I’m playing at home.
“The fans have been amazing. I kind of need that energy to help me through the day, that definitely helps.
“That’s something hopefully I can ride on this weekend as well.“
It must feel great for Woodland to have the fans offering him unconditional support this week.
And there would not be a more popular winner in Houston than the 41-year-old; that’s for sure.
Gary Woodland explains shaft change in his irons
Woodland is swinging the club as good as he ever has right now.
And as a result, he’s creating more speed than ever as well.
Woodland responded when asked why he decided to change the shafts in his irons recently.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in those shafts,“ the 41-year-old admitted.
“It was hard for me to get out of them because I played them for so long and had a lot of success, but with my speed the way it is right now, I need that extra stiff, that extra boardy feel in there.
“It’s allowing me to work the golf ball again and control it more than anything, control the spin, so it’s been really good.“
The future is looking very bright for Woodland right now, and he’ll be absolutely delighted with his position after 36 holes at the Houston Open.
However, he seems to be in great spirits mentally, and that is, of course, the most important thing.
