Gary Woodland grateful for Augusta security as he manages PTSD

AUGUSTA, Ga. - When Gary Woodland last played the Masters in 2024, he was months removed from surgery to remove a brain tumor.

At that point, it may have appeared to outsiders that he'd finished his fight. Woodland, though, said he "didn't know what the future held."

Woodland, now 41, revealed in a Golf Channel sit-down last month that he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of the surgery. The tumor, which was not fully removed in surgery, was located near his amygdala, the part of the brain that controls fear and anxiety.

Not three weeks after going public about his PTSD, Woodland won the Texas Children's Houston Open, his long-awaited first victory since claiming the 2019 U.S. Open. Even then, in the midst of his biggest on-course triumph in years, Woodland was struggling mentally.

"I had a big battle Friday of Houston," Woodland said Tuesday ahead of his Masters return. "I got hypervigilant on the ninth hole, and I battled the last 10 holes thinking people were trying to kill me. I have security with me. The Tour's been amazing.

"But I talked to Tour security that night and I told them what I was going through, and every time I looked up on the weekend, my security team was behind me. Any time I got startled on the weekend, I turned around - last year I didn't talk to Tour security. I fought this on my own. It was awful. Turning around and knowing that I'm safe, having somebody there with me, it's the only reason why I won like two weeks ago."

Woodland revealed that the PGA Tour communicated with Augusta National ahead of his arrival, and he's since met with Augusta's security team.

"I'll have, just like on tour, I'll have security with me," Woodland said. "The main deal is they were showing me