Gary Lynn Woodland[2] (born May 21, 1984) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He won the U.S. Open in 2019, his first major championship and sixth professional victory. Following a successful college career, he turned professional in 2007 and briefly competed on the Nationwide Tour.
After turning professional, Woodland played in a handful of tournaments on the Nationwide Tour in 2007 and 2008.[6] At the end of the 2008 season, he entered the Qualifying school for the PGA Tour, and finished in a tie for 11th, which was good enough to earn him a full card to play on the PGA Tour in 2009. However, he struggled for form in his debut season, making just eight cuts in 18 appearances before a shoulder injury cut his golfing year short in July.[7]
In 2010, Woodland divided his time between the PGA and Nationwide Tours. He continued to struggle for his best form but did not record a single top ten finish on either tour. He did display enough consistency to finish 92nd in the Nationwide Tour money list. Once again, he entered the season-ending qualifying school, and again he finished T-11, to secure a return to full PGA Tour status.[citation needed]
Woodland's second tournament of 2011 was the Bob Hope Classic, where he and Jhonattan Vegas finished tied for first place at 27-under-par; Vegas edged out Woodland in a playoff for the title.[8] This was his first top-10 finish on either of the two main tours.[citation needed]
In March 2011, Woodland won his first PGA Tour title at the Transitions Championship by one stroke when fellow American Webb Simpson missed a par putt on the final hole. Just a few moments earlier Woodland had scrambled a fantastic par from the same position as Simpson on the last, after hitting his second shot over the back of the green. This win secured Woodland a place at the 2011 Masters Tournament and also elevated him to what was then a career high 53rd in the Official World Golf Ranking.[9] He later earned an invitation into the U.S. Open after moving into the Top 50. He left the tournament with an OWGR ranking of 39th. In November 2011, he won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup with Matt Kuchar. He finished 2011 ranked 17th on the PGA Tour money list and 51st in the OWGR. He had ended 2009 ranked 962 and 2010 591.[10]
In February 2018, Woodland won his third PGA Tour event, at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in a sudden-death playoff over Chez Reavie. After finishing tied at 18 under, Woodland won with a par on the first extra hole to end a five-year drought on tour. Woodland moved up to fifth in the season's FedEx Cup standings.[11]
Woodland held the 36-hole lead at the PGA Championship in 2018 with a total 130, which was a tournament record through the first two rounds. He led by a stroke over Kevin Kisner at the halfway stage. He started the final round at nine under par, three shots behind leader Brooks Koepka. He finished in a tie for sixth with a score of 10 under par, six strokes behind the winner Koepka.[12]
In February 2019, Woodland invited Amy Bockerstette, a collegiate golfer with Down syndrome, to play the par-3 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale during a Tuesday practice round at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. After hitting her tee shot into a greenside bunker, Bockerstette surprised Woodland by parring the hole in front of a roaring crowd. The PGA Tour's video capturing the moment went viral, receiving 43 million views across various social media platforms.[14]
Woodland sinking the winning putt at the 2019 U.S. Open, followed by the trophy presentation
At the U.S. Open in June 2019, Woodland held the 54-hole lead at Pebble Beach Golf Links. On Sunday, he shot a 2-under-par 69 for 271 (−13), which gave him a three-shot margin over the runner-up, two-time defending champion Koepka. Woodland became the fourth champion in U.S. Open history who was double-digits under-par. The victory was his first major and his sixth professional win. In his previous thirty starts in majors, Woodland had only carded two top-ten finishes, both in the PGA Championship (2018, 2019).[15] The win at the U.S. Open moved him from 25th to 12th in the Official World Golf Ranking.[16] At the post-win press conference, Woodland FaceTime d Bockerstette live, telling her "I used your positive energy." Two days later, Woodland joined Bockerstette with a surprise appearance on The Today Show where, pointing to the U.S. Open trophy in Bockerstette's hands, he told her "We won this together."[17]
Hale S. Irwin is an American professional golfer. He was one of the world's leading golfers from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s. He is one of the few players in history to win three U.S. Opens, becoming the oldest ever U.S. Open champion in 1990 at the age of 45. As a senior golfer, Irwin ranks second all-time in PGA Tour Champions victories. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Champions Tour history. He has also developed a career as a golf course architect.
Kirk Alan Triplett is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide Tour, and PGA Tour Champions.
Jeffrey Allan Maggert is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions.
William Chesney "Chez" Reavie is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Brian Eric Harman is an American professional golfer from Savannah, Georgia. He plays on the PGA Tour, on which he has won three tournaments, including a major championship victory at the 2023 Open Championship. He also finished as a runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Open. He plays left-handed.
Jordan Alexander Spieth is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He is a three-time major winner and the 2015 FedEx Cup champion.
Russell Chapin Henley is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour.
Brooks Koepka is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the LIV Golf league, where he leads with the most wins (5). Prior to joining LIV, Koepka won several times on the PGA Tour. He has won 5 major championships; the 2017 and 2018 US Open, and the 2018, 2019 and 2023 PGA Championship.
Daniel F. Berger is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. After turning pro at age 20 in 2013, he won the FedEx St. Jude Classic in both 2016 and 2017 and the Charles Schwab Challenge in 2020, the first PGA Tour tournament played after a three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2021, he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am; clinching victory with an eagle on the 18th hole.
The 2017 U.S. Open Championship was the 117th U.S. Open, held June 15–18 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin, northwest of Milwaukee. Brooks Koepka claimed his first major title with a 16-under-par 272, four strokes ahead of runners-up Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama. Koepka's score matched the lowest ever at the championship, set in 2011 by Rory McIlroy.
The 2017 WGC-HSBC Champions was a golf tournament played from 26–29 October 2017 at the Sheshan Golf Club in Shanghai, China. It was the ninth WGC-HSBC Champions tournament, and the fourth of four World Golf Championships events held in the 2017 calendar year.
Keith McKendree Mitchell is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.
The 2019 Open Championship was the 148th Open Championship, played 18–21 July at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was the second Open Championship at Portrush, which last hosted in 1951, won by Max Faulkner. Royal Portrush saw major alterations in preparation for the tournament, including replacing two of the holes.
The 2019 Masters Tournament was the 83rd edition of the Masters Tournament and the first of golf's four major championships in 2019, held between April 11 and 14 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.
The 2019 United States Open Championship was the 119th U.S. Open, played from June 13–16 at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, California. It was the seventh major and sixth U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, which last hosted U.S. Opens in 2000 and 2010, won by Tiger Woods and Graeme McDowell, respectively.
The 2019 PGA Championship was the 101st edition of the PGA Championship, and the second of golf's four major championships in 2019, held May 16–19 at the Black Course in Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale, New York. This was the first edition under the new schedule in which the PGA Championship is the second major of the year, having previously been the final one for decades. It was the third major and first PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, which hosted U.S. Opens in 2002 and 2009, won by Tiger Woods and Lucas Glover, respectively.
The 2020 PGA Championship was the 102nd edition of the PGA Championship, and the first of golf's three major championships played in 2020. It was held August 6–9 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California, having originally been scheduled for May 14–17. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the first major played in over a year, and had no spectators in attendance. It was the first major held at Harding Park, which had previously hosted World Golf Championship events in 2005 and 2015, and the 2009 Presidents Cup.
The 2021 PGA Championship was the 103rd PGA Championship, held May 20–23 in South Carolina at Kiawah Island Golf Resort's Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. It was the second major championship at the Ocean Course; the PGA Championship in August 2012 was won by Rory McIlroy.
The 2023 Masters Tournament was the 87th edition of the Masters Tournament and the first of the men's four major golf championships held in 2023. The tournament was played from April 6–9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, United States.
The 2023 PGA Championship was the 105th PGA Championship. It was a 72-hole stroke play tournament played on May 18–21 on the East Course of Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York.
† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; # indicates the event was won by an amateur; 1942–1945 cancelled due to World War II
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