Gary Woodland got understandably emotional after winning the PGA Tour Courage Award

Gary Woodland, who has returned to competitive golf after undergoing brain surgery in 2023, was named the recipient of the PGA Tour Courage Award. The 2019 U.S. Open champion learned of his selection during an interview Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and formally accepted the award during a presentation at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

“It’s a lot to take in,” an emotional Woodland said after “Good Morning America” co-host Michael Strahan delivered the news. “I’ve had a lot of people around me help me get through this, and I definitely wouldn’t be here today, I would be able to receive this or anything if it wasn’t for them. Hopefully, this is another step in the right direction, but … it just means I’m lucky and I’m blessed.”

Woodland, 40, is the seventh recipient of the PGA Tour Courage Award, which was established in 2012 and is presented 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.

A four-time winner on the PGA Tour including U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Woodland joins fellow tour players Erik Compton, Gene Sauers, Morgan Hoffmann, Chris Kirk and the late Jarrod Lyle. In 2022, D.J. Gregory received the award, the only non-player ever selected. Born with cerebral palsy, Gregory has walked at most PGA Tour events since 2008 to raise money for his charitable foundation, Walking For Kids.

The PGA Tour makes a $25,000 contribution to the charity of the recipient’s choice, and Woodland has designated Champion Charities, an organization dedicated to research and patient support for those suffering from brain tumors, brain disease and brain trauma. Woodland and his wife Gabby have proceeded to match that donation.

Woodland, who joined the tour in 2009, underwent surgery in September 2023 to have a brain lesion removed. Four months later, he competed again at the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii. He went on to post one top-10 finish and three top-25s last year in 26 starts. The Kansas native has enjoyed a solid start to his 2025 season, already matching last year’s top-25 finishes in just four starts.

“Gary’s journey has been well documented and the fact that he has overcome so many challenges associated with his initial diagnosis is nothing short of miraculous,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “We are so proud to honor him with the PGA Tour Courage Award recognizing his relentless spirit and his willingness to share his story and inspire others.”

Asked what others can take away from his experience, Woodland replied: “That you can have hope. No matter your circumstance, no matter how bad it gets. It would have been easy to give up, but that’s not who I am. That’s not what I believe."

Here's more of Woodland’s emotional press conference where he talks about what it means for him to win the award.

In Netflix’s third season of “Full Swing,” which launched on Tuesday, Woodland’s story is a featured part of the sixth episode.