Gary Woodland stuns PGA Tour reporters with Justin Thomas story

PGA Tour golfer Gary Woodland has revealed Justin Thomas bogeyed three holes in a row at the 3M Open after he told him he had a brain tumour. 

Woodland began experiencing symptoms in 2023 and scans later revealed that he had a lesion on his brain. 

The benign tumour was pressing on the part of his brain that controls fear and anxiety, prompting Woodland to believe he was about to die. 

It was removed in September 2023 and he returned to the game last January. 

"The first player I told about all this was Justin Thomas," Woodland told reporters before the Cognizant Classic on Wednesday after he was named the recipient of the Tour's courage award.

"Justin and I are close, and I didn't tell anybody for about four months, and for some reason, JT and I were playing, we were in Minnesota, this was 2023 and we were a featured group that day so we had cameras all over us, and JT is like, 'G-Dub, how you doing.' 

"It kind of hit me, it wasn't like, how is golf. It was, how are you doing."

He added: "For him to ask that question, I said, 'Man, I'm not doing well.' 

"He's like, 'What's going on?' And I turn around and there's a boom mic right next to us, and I'm like, 'Oh, I'll tell you later, I'll tell you later'.  

"Then the next day we were playing with Joel Dahmen - I'll never forget it - and he had a ruling going on so we were by ourselves, and JT is like, 'What were you going to tell me yesterday.

"I was like -- it's Friday, it's cut day, right, and JT and I were both kind of close to the cut line. 

"And I said, JT, I've got a tumour in my head, in my brain. And he bogeyed the next three holes. 

"He claims he didn't, but he did, and he ended up missing the cut by one, so he's going to blame me for that.

"But since that day, JT -- I had my last MRI last week. He's texting me every day, checking in, everybody. 

"That's not just him. He's just the first one I told. But every player out here. Rookies I don't even know coming up and checking on me. Then the caddies have been the same, the Tour staff."

Woodland said one of the first phone calls he received after he came out of surgery was from commissioner Jay Monahan.  

"His whole staff has reached out," Woodland said. 

"It's literally a family. I know we're out here trying to beat each other up every day and every week, but people care. That's what makes this thing so special."

You won't be surprised to hear Woodland's wife Gabby has also been unbelievable in supporting her husband. 

"She's had it harder than I have because she's in it every day with the three kids and then trying to battle me every day and make sure that I can get out and function," Woodland said.  

"I feel for her more than I definitely feel for myself and feel for anything else. She's the stud of everything."