Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele took a shot at Gary Woodland over his emotional story—but their friendship runs deeper. With the 2026 Tour Championship heating up, The Athletic’s Gabby Herzig was at East Lake, catching up with several players. Amid the intensity, she posed a lighthearted question: ‘Who should start a YouTube channel?’
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Xander Schauffele named Si Woo Kim to start his own channel. But when she asked who he thought would be the worst on YouTube, he joked: “Gary Woodland. He will just cry the whole time. Listen to his story.”
Schauffele’s playful jab at Woodland masks a deeper bond forged over years of competition. Woodland had been going through a difficult time. In 2023, he began experiencing unexplained symptoms, including extreme anxiety, panic attacks, hand tremors, and a constant fear of death. An MRI revealed that a benign lesion pressing on the part of his brain controlling fear responses caused these symptoms.
After months of struggle, Woodland underwent a successful craniotomy in September 2023, in which surgeons drilled a baseball-sized hole in his skull to remove most of the growth, leaving some because of the risk of vision loss or left-side paralysis. He returned to competition about four months later, though he has since dealt with PTSD symptoms from the ordeal.
Since then, Woodland faced a drought of wins, which finally ended during the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March 2026. In his last outing, he finished tied for fourth at the BMW Championship. Regardless, Woodland and Schauffele have long been friends and often compete against each other. One notable moment between them came during the 2019 Tournament of Champions.
Schauffele started the final round five shots off the lead but fired a remarkable 62, including six-under-par over his final seven holes, to beat Woodland by one shot. After the round, Woodland congratulated Schauffele and gave him a friendly shove. When asked what Woodland had said, Schauffele jokingly replied, “Congrats. He knows he could kick my a— if he wanted to, so…”
Schauffele clearly made the comment in jest, acknowledging Woodland’s larger frame. Schauffele also praised Woodland as a “really cool dude,” while Woodland complimented Schauffele’s incredible 62.
The duo is now competing at the Tour Championship and, interestingly, tied for eighth place. With the two separated only by the leaderboard, Schauffele’s friendly jab could soon give way to some fierce competition.