Former KU golfer and 2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland was recognized with a special honor this week from the PGA Tour as he became the seventh golfer in history to receive the PGA Tour Courage Award following his comeback from brain surgery in September 2023.
Woodland, a Kansas native from Topeka, had surgery to remove a potentially deadly lesion and has since battled back to participate in several PGA Tour events over the past year.
Woodland was surprised with the award during an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and formally received the award at the Cognizant Classic which he is participating in this week.
“I’ve had a lot of people around me that have helped me get through this,” said Woodland during his interview with Good Morning America’s Michael Strahan. “I definitely wouldn’t be able to be here today, I wouldn’t be able to receive this or anything if it wasn’t for them … I’m lucky and I’m blessed.”
According to the PGA Tour website, the Courage Award is given to “a person who, through courage and perseverance, has overcome extraordinary adversity, such as personal tragedy or debilitating injury or illness, to make a significant and meaningful contribution to the game of golf.”
As part of the award, Woodland was given a $25,000 contribution that can be used toward a charity of the recipient’s choice. Woodland decided to send the proceeds to Champion Charities – a nonprofit organization located in Palo Alto, California, dedicated to brain tumor, brain disease and brain trauma research. He and his wife Gabby decided to match the donation to provide a total of $50,000 to the charity.
Woodland’s recovery and journey is documented in depth in the recently released Season 3 of “Full Swing” on Netflix.
We couldn’t be happier for @GaryWoodland and how deserving he is of this constant recognition 🙌 pic.twitter.com/zo76GQkWb8
— Kansas Men's Golf (@KUMensGolf) February 27, 2025