- ABC News
- January 10, 2024
Gary Woodland dealt with loss of appetite and energy, jolting awake in the middle of the night, tremors and an overwhelming feeling of fear until doctors could figure out what was wrong. A benign lesion resting on his brain had to be removed before Woodland could feel like himself again. Less than four months after undergoing brain surgery, the 2019 U.S. Open champion is ready to make his inspirational return to professional golf this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. "It's been a long process," Woodland told reporters Tuesday. "One [that] maybe even a couple weeks ago I didn't know if this week was possible. It's been a journey for me, too, but this was a goal of mine from surgery to be back." The 39-year-old said his symptoms began in late April, and he thought they could be related to panic attacks. He had his first MRI on May 24; specialists soon found the lesion and said Woodland's jolts were partial seizures. "The lesion in my brain sat on the part of my brain that...