Jack Nicklaus has message for Gary Woodland after his Houston Open win
· Yahoo Sports
Gary Woodland was a universally popular winner of the Houston Open.
There was even a part of his competitors during the final round that wanted Woodland to win the tournament, as Min Woo Lee and Nicolai Hojgaard hung back to give Woodland centre stage on the walk to the 18th green.
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2019 US Open winner Woodland recently opened up about his struggles with PTSD, after he underwent brain surgery in 2023. Just two weeks after that interview, he took a convincing win in Houston and said he was playing the best golf of his life.
Woodland received messages from all over the sporting world, from Tommy Fleetwood to Patrick Mahomes. And the all-time leader in major championship wins, Jack Nicklaus, is the latest to send his congratulations.
Photo by Leslie Plaza Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesJack Nicklaus said Gary Woodland’s win was great for the golf
The Golden Bear took to Instagram to congratulate Woodland on his victory. The 86-year-old said he and his entire family supported the American over the weekend.
Nicklaus posted: “I think the whole world was rooting this weekend for @gary.woodland, starting with my family and me. There was not a single person I talked to over the last few days that was not in Gary’s corner, cheering him on.
“For all that Gary has been through the last few years — from the brain surgery to opening his heart and soul to the world about his recent challenges — and then to show such resilience and mental toughness, while playing great golf, made for an incredible win and moment.
“It was not just a great win for Gary and his family, but a great victory for the game of golf. Congratulations Gary! 👏🏼”
As if Woodland’s week couldn’t get any better, hearing that Nicklaus was rooting for him must be surreal for the now five-time PGA Tour winner.
Now, he’ll hope to replicate some of Nicklaus’ success at Augusta National.
Why Gary Woodland is a contender to win The Masters
Woodland has decided to take a well-earned rest ahead of The Masters, as he withdrew from the Valero Texas Open this week. He’s in peak form, and at 42-years-old, rest is the most important thing for him heading into the first major of the season.
And it would be foolish to write Woodland out of contention to win a Green Jacket despite his age. Incredibly, he ranks second on the PGA Tour in average driving distance this season with 324.6 yards off the tee.
That’s a crucial skill for Augusta National, and combining that with his elite short game means he’s well set to perform well on Augusta’s undulating greens.
Woodland has been putting it better this year than ever before, averaging a career-high +0.46 strokes gained on the greens. In Houston, he gained 2.12 strokes to the field to win the event.
If he can continue to sink putts at that rate and maintain his distance with his driver, then he’ll come into Augusta National confident that he can take the win.