A true comeback story! What else can we call Gary Woodland’s tale owing to the return he made to the greens from the personal hell that plagued the golfer’s health? One would only have been able to do so if they loved the game of golf that much. However, astonishingly, it doesn’t seem to have been the case for the 1X major champ until a while back.

Nevertheless, he confessed in a recent podcast how the whole tumor and surgery made him realize the truth. But, while doing so, the athlete also made sure to recount how golf wasn’t his first love, all the while revealing a certain NBA twist to the tale!

Gary Woodland’s first choice wasn’t the greens!

In an episode of the podcast Gravy and the Sleeze on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, Woodland divulged how he always wanted to become a “professional athlete” while growing up as a little kid. But there’s more. He confessed how “basketball would have been No.1,” followed by “baseball” and then “golf”. He said, “It wasn’t that it was my favorite or that I loved it,” while alluding to how he ended up in the gentleman’s game because he was “just good at it.”

Now, coming to the present, the 2019 U.S. Open champ revealed the thoughts that plagued his mind during the whole ordeal. Thoughts of how “this could be taken away from me(sic) and I’d never be able to do it again!” Adding on, he disclosed how he “didn’t realize how much golf meant to me in my life(sic)” all the while acknowledging how he couldn’t have comprehended the same until he experienced “the thought of it taken away” from him. As he said, “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.”

Truly inspiring! One can’t help but respect the 39-year-old for fighting through the situation to make an appearance again on the greens. Although he missed the cut at Honolulu with scores of 71-71, the golfer was nevertheless happy about the fact that he was able to make a comeback, as he termed it ‘the best week’ after the second round.

His return to the course was all thanks to him staying strong despite the frightful struggle that the journey presented him with. But what actually happened to the golfer?

Woodland’s journey filled with fear

Woodland was diagnosed with a brain tumor, following which he started experiencing fear and anxiety, especially around death, as a result of its position. However, as the condition became worse, the doctors recommended surgery, which he eventually agreed to after the 2023 Wyndham Championship in Greensboro.

ALSO READ – Despite a Forgettable Return After Brain Tumor Battle, Gary Woodland Makes an ‘Emotional’ Confession

The tumor was removed as much as it could be, all thanks to it being a benign one. Now, the 4-time PGA Tour Pro is “stable from surgery,” all the while making regular appointments to track his health. Well, nothing short of an encouraging tale. Take a bow, Woodland. You deserve it!

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