Sunday’s win at Memorial Park did two things for Gary Woodland: it ended a drought that stretched back to the 2019 U.S. Open, and it handed him a direct path to Augusta. He is taking that path without stopping in San Antonio, which he probably wouldn’t have done otherwise.

Gary Woodland has withdrawn from the $9.8 million Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio, with Jackson Suber replacing him. He is choosing to rest and prepare for Augusta National instead of playing another event. Had he not won in Houston, Woodland probably would have played the Texas Open, hoping to win.

This year will be the first time since 2024 that he will be playing at Augusta. He sure will be trying to better his previous best finish at Augusta National, tied for 14th in 2023. The Houston Open win was Woodland’s fifth PGA Tour title in nearly seven years. He finished 21-under, beating Nicolai Hojgaard by five shots. What made it more significant is Woodland’s story.

Gary Woodland underwent brain surgery in September 2023 to remove a brain lesion. Doctors cut off a baseball-sized hole in his skull to remove the lesion. Ever since, he has been struggling. A year later, he was diagnosed with PTSD, and he kept it under wraps. But earlier this month, he revealed he struggles with battling PTSD. His Sunday’s five-shot victory was his answer to all of it.

Hojgaard, who is already in the Masters, has also withdrawn. The decision came after securing a spot in the top 50 OWGR with a runner-up finish in Houston. He moved from 47th to 36th in OWGR. And it’s Joel Dahmen who took his place.

The field saw further changes as Pierceson Coody (back injury) and Matti Schmid also dropped out, opening spots for Taylor Moore and Sam Ryder, respectively. For Coody, the grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, the timing was particularly tough as he finished the week ranked 52nd, just missing a top-50 Masters invitation

Woodland’s decision to withdraw is surprising given his strong history at TPC San Antonio, where he posted back-to-back top-10s in 2021 (T6) and 2022 (T8). His proven comfort on the course makes his choice to prioritize rest for Augusta even more telling.

However, the field in San Antonio is still strong, with Tommy Fleetwood, Brian Harman, and Ludvig Aberg headlining the event; the stakes are clear. The winner of the Valero Texas Open gets an automatic invitation to the Masters, if not already in the field. This is the last chance for anyone who still wants to go to Augusta.

Besides Woodland and Hojgaard, many pros have decided to skip the $9.8M event.

Other PGA Tour pros missing the Valero Texas Open 2026

Numerous PGA pros have chosen to sit out the Valero Texas Open, each for different reasons, but the pattern is the same: Augusta comes first.

Rory McIlroy will not be at TPC San Antonio after a back injury impacted his entire Florida swing. He pulled out of Bay Hill and finished The PLAYERS at T46 before confirming Augusta as his next start. The defending Masters champion is protecting his body over chasing form.

Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, withdrew from the Houston Open last week to be with his wife, Meredith, for the birth of their second child, and he will not be in San Antonio either. His 2026 season included a win at the AmEx, a T3 at the WM Phoenix Open, and a T4 at Pebble Beach, so his prep for Augusta is not the concern.

Justin Thomas is also skipping, still managing recovery from a microdiscectomy he had in November 2025 to repair a herniated disc. He returned at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and has since posted a T8 at the PLAYERS, but adding another 72-hole grind before Augusta was never part of his plan.