PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Two years after Gary Woodland returned to the PGA Tour following brain surgery, he still struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder so severe there have been times when he was in tears in the middle of the fairway.
He chose to share his PTSD diagnosis with Golf Channel on Monday at The Players Championship in an emotional interview, saying he’s determined to stop hiding behind the difficulty of his recovery.
“I can’t waste energy anymore hiding this, and I’m blessed with a lot of support out here on the tour,” Woodland said. “Everyone’s just been amazing. Every week I come out and everyone’s so excited and happy that I’m back. … And I appreciate that love and support.
“But inside, I feel like I’m dying, and I feel like I’m living a lie.”
Woodland shared one incident of being hypervigilant. He said he was spooked by a walking scorer who came up too closely behind him during the Procore Championship last September.