Gary Woodland isn’t just playing for himself anymore. His newfound purpose in life is way bigger than that | CNN

If there’s a more uplifting comeback story anywhere in the sports world right now than Gary Woodland, it’s hard to imagine.

If there’s a more uplifting comeback story anywhere in the sports world right now, I’d like to know about it.

Simply put, American golfer Gary Woodland is beyond inspiring.

He’s courageous, resilient and the very that fact he’s even playing in this week’s season-ending Tour Championship less than three years after undergoing surgery to remove a tumor on his brain is truly remarkable.

“My wife Gabby’s my rock. She’s the one that reminds me why in tough times I’m here, what I’m fighting for. The only dream I’ve ever had is to be a professional athlete. I owe it to my childhood self to fight every day. There’s a lot of days where I don’t want to do it. There’s a lot of days I don’t want to fight, but my wife reminds me why I am,” Woodland told CNN Sports a day before his first round at this week’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.

“It’s a tribute to my family who sacrificed so much and gave everything for me to go out and live my dreams. I owe it to everyone else, I’m not just playing for myself,” he added.

The 42-year-old – who’s playing in the season-ending tournament for the first time in seven years – revealed earlier this year that he also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder following that surgery in September 2023.

It means Woodland feels ill at ease when faced with large crowds and he has a security detail out on the course to help reassure him that he’s safe and protected while playing.

“My good days now are 10s. Like when I have a good day, I think I’m more appreciative. I have better perspective. My bad days are still 1s. So, I struggle sometimes because it’s a massive drop now from 10 to 1. So, when I get off, it feels like the end of the world,” Woodland said.

Woodland says everything he’s been through in recent times has led to fresh perspectives on life and a now-burning desire to help and inspire other people who are enduring their own hardships.

“Before all this started, I thought it was about me. This is way bigger than me now. I owe it to them, and I owe it to everyone else that is struggling,” the 2019 US Open champion said.

“I had a kid in Memphis who flew over from New Zealand, who’s 11 years old and has an inoperable brain tumor, and he wanted to meet me. Wednesday through Sunday, he walked every hole with me. I owe it to him. This is a lot bigger than myself now; I realize that. So, when I’m struggling, I fight for them.”

The Kansas native has been in impressive form this year. He finished tied for fourth at the recent BMW Championship to break into the FedEx Cup standings’ top 30 and his highly emotional victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open was his first win on the PGA Tour since his brain surgery. In fact, it was also his first win since that breakthrough career major triumph at Pebble Beach seven years ago, and it came just days after he’d shared news of his PTSD diagnosis.

But don’t think for one moment that Woodland is at East Lake just to make up the numbers, far from it. His hunger for a sixth tour title and continued success remains very front and center for him.

“I have the ability to get up and fight every day, and I’m going to do that. I have a lot of fight left in me. I believe I have a big career left ahead of me, and I’m not going to let this thing win. At the end of the day, I truly believe I can beat this thing. It’s not easy, but I’ll keep fighting every day to do it.”

To say Gary Woodland has the full respect and admiration of his fellow professionals would be an understatement and there would surely not be a more beloved winner in golf if the American could go on win the coveted FedEx Cup this week.

“I think he’s been amazing in how he’s been open about his journey with us all. He doesn’t have to do that for sure. For him to have a great year, it’s one of those inspirational stories that I’m sure touches so many people and also has an impact on a lot of people as well and their individual journeys,” said Tommy Fleetwood, the 2025 FedEx Cup champion.

“Gary’s done amazing this year. He’s an amazing golfer, but he’s had to deal with a lot of things. It’s just shown what you can do in certain situations. Very proud of him,” the Englishman added.

By breaking into the Tour Championship’s elite 30-man field this week, Woodland has a chance to win the season-ending title, which would be a remarkable achievement in its own right and especially so for a golfer who now has a totally newfound purpose in life.

“At the end of the day, I want to make this world a better place. If my story or my journey or me talking about the struggles I face every day, if that helps somebody else, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.

“I don’t want to be remembered as being a great golfer. I want to be remembered as a great person. Hopefully, my struggles – my struggles suck. There’s no other way to put it. I have a lot of days that suck, but if that helps somebody else, then that’s going to help me too.”