Woodland to return at Waialae after brain surgery

Former US Open champ will return to golf competition at the Sony Open next week

LOS ANGELES:

Former US Open champion Gary Woodland will return to golf competition at the Sony Open next week after undergoing surgery to remove a brain lesion in September.

Woodland, 39, said in August he would have surgery after attempting to treat the condition with medication.

On November 13 he posted a video of his swing saying he expected to be back in 2024, and he was among the field announced on Friday for the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu -- the first full-field event on the US PGA Tour's 2024 calendar.

"This journey has been very hard but I'm extremely thankful to be progressing and for the unconditional love and support from everyone," Woodland said in his social media post in November. "You've all made this process a little easier for me and my family. Thank you to everyone and I look forward to seeing you all next year."

Woodland won the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach, the most recent of his four PGA Tour titles.

Woodland warmed hearts after that victory when he took a moment to make a video call to Amy Bockerstette, a young Arizona golfer with Down Syndrome that Woodland had met and played with during the week of the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open.

Video of Bockerstette's confident par save from a bunker in Phoenix, and Woodland's clear delight in her performance, charmed golf fans when it went viral on social media, the moment sparking a lasting friendship between the two.

In 2023, Woodland finished 94th in the FedExCup standings, making 18 cuts in 24 starts with two top-10 finishes.