Masters star left fighting back tears in emotional press conference after brain tumour battle

Competing at the Masters is an emotional moment for all golf players, but one US star was particularly tearful during his recent press conference

Gary Woodland is making his 13th Masters appearance and first since 2024. The 41-year-old is now competing for the green jacket, but it wasn’t long ago he was instead battling a brain tumour.

In back-to-back weeks during March, Woodland finished T-14 in Tampa before claiming victory in Houston. The Houston triumph marked his fifth PGA Tour win, but the first since 2019 and his recent health struggle.

In September 2023, Woodland underwent surgery to remove a tumour that had sparked fears for his life. The Tour star recently revealed he experienced PTSD while playing on the course, but now he’s returned to the Masters after President Donald Trump commented on his recent success.

The significance of that hasn’t escaped Woodland, who became emotional during his pre-tournament press conference. “I was reminded pretty quickly when I won that I would be back here, and that’s something I didn’t know when that was going to come again,” said Woodland.

“Winning was probably the last thing on my mind for a long time. Unfortunately, probably playing here was the last thing on my mind for a long time. I’m thrilled to knock both of those off the list in one week.

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“This is the pinnacle of everything here. It was hard to miss last year, but I’m happy and excited and looking forward to this week being back.”

Woodland was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder on the Monday before the Players Championship in 2026, and was attempting to conceal the reality of his recovery even though the Tour star had no idea what lay ahead. “It didn’t cross my mind,” he added while trying to hold back the tears.

“My mind’s changed a lot over the last couple years, and I just don’t have the luxury of looking ahead. When I’m not on the course, I’m in a battle, and when I’m on the course, I’m in a battle.

“I was talking to JT, I think, about it earlier. He was asking me how I looked pretty calm on Sunday. I said, the doctors and everybody I’m working with were trying to slow my heart rate down, were trying to slow my thoughts down just to function and be healthy.

“But doing those things obviously helps my golf game as well. I wish I knew a lot of this stuff 20 years ago. I can’t think ahead of myself.

“I’m trying to get through each moment and each day one day at a time. I also think that helps – from a golf standpoint, that helps as well, staying so in the moment, singular focus.”