After Brain Surgery, Gary Woodland Needs Security Detail at Masters To Manage PTSD Episodes

Security at a professional golf tournament is nothing new. Typically, it is there to protect players from the public — to manage crowds, maintain order and ensure the competition unfolds without disruption.But this week at the Masters Tournament, the security presence surrounding Gary Woodland carries a far more personal purpose. It is there, in part, to protect him from himself.Mr. Woodland is making his 13th appearance at Augusta National for the season’s first major championship. But this year he is not battling the course alone. The 41-year-old is managing the lingering symptoms of brain surgery and the post-traumatic stress that followed.In September 2023, doctors operated on a lesion pressing on the part of his brain that controls fear and anxiety. Mr. Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open Champion, had been suffering from hand tremors, chills, low energy and being scared awake at night. While the tumor was benign, surgeons were unable to remove it entirely without risking severe complications, including vision loss and paralysis.Mr. Woodland has since dealt with episodes of hypervigilance — overwhelming feelings of fear triggered by unexpected movement or noise, particularly from behind. A fan shifting position, a walking scorer coming too close, even a camera person moving suddenly to get a better angle can trigger an episode.“I don’t have control when this thing hits me,” Mr. Woodland told reporters in Augusta, Georgia, site of the Masters. “Any startlement from behind me can trigger this pretty quickly.”Those moments have turned routine tournament settings into unpredictable environments. At times they have forced him into a mental battle far more intense than any leaderboard pressure.Two weeks ago, Mr. Woodland claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour in nearly seven years at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. It was his first since winning the U.S. Open and first since his brain surgery, much to the delight of many in the golf world.Later he revealed he played the final 10 holes “thinking people were trying to kill me.”A spectator behind the roles did something to trigger Mr. Woodland’s hypervigilance. He had to be calmed by his caddie, who had to constantly assure him he was safe and protected by security.In an effort to limit the recurrence of another episode, Mr. Woodland and his team huddled with Augusta National officials to discuss what measures will be taken to make sure the player feels safe during an event known for huge crowds in close quarters.“The whole deal for me is it’s visual, right? If I can see somebody, then I can remind myself that I’m safe constantly.”He said, he’ll have “a good idea now where security is on every hole” while he competes in the Masters. “The big deal for me (is) my caddie knows, too, so he can constantly remind me,” Mr. Woodland said. “Knowing where security is, is a constant reminder that I’m safe.”Winning the Houston Open earned Mr. Woodland an invitation to play in the Masters after missing the tournament last year. His best finish in his previous 12 starts was a tie for 14th in 2023, five months before his surgery.“Unfortunately, probably playing here was the last thing on my mind for a long time,” Mr. Woodland said, adding, “I didn’t cross my mind. My mind’s changed a lot over the last couple of years. I just don’t have the luxury of looking ahead. When I’m not on the course, I’m in a battle, and when I’m on the course, I’m in a battle.”His challenges come much more rapidly than one tournament at a time. “I’m trying to get through each moment and each day, one at a time,” he said. “I also think that helps from a golf standpoint, staying so in the moment, singular focus.”As difficult as things can be on the golf course, playing the game remains his passion and his purpose. “When I was diagnosed with his brain tumor three years ago, my number one thought was I wasn’t going to let this thing win,” he said. “I’ve dreamed of being a professional athlete since I was a little kid, and I would do everything in my power to live that dream.”Mr. Woodland begins his opening round at 1:44 p.m. on Thursday. He’ll play the first two rounds with two-time Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre of Scotland and hope his performance is good enough to make the cut and play the weekend.“I love being out here,” Mr. Woodland said. “I love the guys. I love competing,” he continued, “and the thought of losing that is hard. There’s been times where I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do it, but I was going to fight and give it everything I had.”The victory at Houston “was a big step in the right direction from a confidence standpoint,” he said. Now he’ll try to win his second major championship and Green Jacket this weekend. Security and safety will follow him every step of the way.

After Brain Surgery, Gary Woodland Needs Security Detail at Masters To Manage PTSD Episodes

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