Gary Woodland

Gary Woodland was born in Topeka, Kansas, and was an all-state basketball player in high school. He spent a year at Washburn University on a basketball scholarship before realizing his future was in golf and transferring to the University of Kansas, where he won four college events and the 2005 Kansas Amateur. He turned pro after graduating in 2007.

His early years were uneven, with trips back to qualifying school and a shoulder injury, but he won the 2011 Transitions Championship and later the Reno-Tahoe Open and 2018 Phoenix Open. Long known as one of the game's big hitters, he put it all together at Pebble Beach in 2019, holding off Brooks Koepka by three shots to win the U.S. Open.

In 2023 Woodland had surgery to remove part of a brain tumor, and he has spoken openly about living with its after-effects, including a PTSD diagnosis. He received the PGA Tour Courage Award in 2025 and, in March 2026, won the Houston Open by five shots with a tournament-record 21 under, his first win since the U.S. Open. He is ranked 42nd in the world.

World ranking history

Official World Golf Ranking position. Higher on the chart is better.

Major championships

Finish at every major start. T = tied, MC = missed cut.

Wins 5

Wins in events counted by the Official World Golf Ranking.

1. 2026

   • Texas Children's Houston Open PGA Tour

2. 2019

   • U.S. Open Major Major

3. 2018

   • Waste Management Phoenix Open PGA Tour

4. 2013

   • Reno-Tahoe Open PGA Tour

5. 2011

   • Transitions Championsip PGA Tour

Season results