PGA golfer Gary Woodland announced through social media that he is going to need to undergo brain surgery. The surgery is going to take place in the middle of September and will remove a lesion from his brain.
Woodland has known about the lesion and has been open about the process of treating it. Since he found out about the lesion a few months ago, he has been working to treat it through medication. Unfortunately, that hasn’t solved the issue and after he consulted specialists, he made the decision to undergo brain surgery.
Despite how scary and concerning this medical news and surgery are, Gary Woodland is working to maintain a positive attitude. He wrote, “I’m in good spirits with my family and team by my side and so thankful for the love and support of everyone.”
“I was diagnosed a few months ago and have been trying to treat symptoms with medication. After consulting with multiple specialists and discussing with my family, we’ve made the decision that surgery to remove the lesion is the best course of action.”
He added, “Thank you for your support during this time.”
The surgery itself will take place on September 18th. According to Johns Hopkins, there are different factors that go into the surgery, including the size and location of the lesion. However, in general, this type of surgery is seen as generally less invasive than other surgeries. Still, it’s hard to not be concerned when it comes down to a medical issue involving the brain.
Because of the surgery, Gary Woodland is going to need to step away from golf and didn’t give a timetable for his return after the procedure.
The Kansas Jayhawk turned professional in 2007 and joined the PGA Tour in 2009. In 2011, Woodland would win his first PGA Tour title at the Transitions Championship. That win earned him a spot at the Masters. In total, he has won four times on the PGA Tour. The most recent of those wins was the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
In 2019, Gary Woodland went viral after inviting Amy Bockerstette, a Special Olympics golfer, to play the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale. That was during a practice round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. She ended up parring the hole and the video of it was seen by 43 million people.
More recently, Woodland finished 94th in the FedExCup season. He finished in the top 10 twice during that season.
Gary Woodland is 39 years old.
More must-reads: