03/28/26 05:39:00
Printable Page
03/28 17:38 CDT Gary Woodland stays in front in Houston as he goes for 1st win
since US Open
Gary Woodland stays in front in Houston as he goes for 1st win since US Open
HOUSTON (AP) --- Gary Woodland had to play hard to stay in front Saturday in
the Houston Open and he added a pair of birdies late in his round for a 5-under
65 that gave him a one-shot lead over Nicolai Hojgaard as he goes for his first
win since the 2019 U.S. Open.
Woodland and Hojgaard (63) were flawless in the final hour at Memorial Park and
created some separation going into Sunday, with no one else closer than five
shots.
Woodland has become a popular figure in golf for the way he has handled his
recovery from brain surgery in September 2023, and earlier this month opening
up on his struggles with post-traumatic syndrome disorder during an emotional
interview at The Players Championship.
His golf has looked as good as ever, with full control of his swing and full
use of his athletic power.
"I've just got to take a deep breath," Woodland said. "I'll have a good night
ahead of me tonight to recover and rest, and tomorrow just don't get ahead of
yourself. I'm here, I put myself in this position for a reason, so take a deep
breath and maintain what I'm doing."
Woodland was at 18-under 192, the first time he has held the 54-hole lead since
that 2019 major title at Pebble Beach. He has been helped by a change in shafts
in his irons, noticing he was losing a little control as his speed began to
return.
He was particularly strong down the stretch, and he had to be with Hojgaard
chasing him. Woodland drilled a 2-iron over the water an onto the green at the
par-5 16th --- one of only five players to hit the green in two --- for a
two-putt birdie.
His drive on the reachable par-4 17th hit the bunker with such force that it
hopped out onto the collar, and he pitched down to 5 feet for another birdie.
Hojgaard was right there with him, hitting a nice chip on the 16th for a birdie
and getting up-and-down from a bunker on the 17th for another one. The Dane got
back into the mix with a 62 on Friday, and he was equally effective on Saturday
with his 63. He has made 15 birdies and one eagle the last two rounds.
Defending champion Min Woo Lee (67) and Michael Thorbjornsen (66) were five
shots behind. Sunday is big for Thorbjornsen, who is No. 56 in the world. The
top 50 after this week earn Masters invitations, and the Massachusetts native
likely needs no better than eighth place.
Hojgaard is still not in the Masters, though at No. 47 he is virtually a lock
to stay in the top 50 barring a curious chain of events at Memorial Park.
Woodland would need nothing short of a victory to get back to the Masters, even
a perk such as that is secondary considering all he has gone through.
The surgery was to remove a big part of a lesion that was producing unfounded
fears of dying. He returned to the PGA Tour at the start of 2024, but only
recently did he share struggles with PTSD, how he would begin crying in the
middle of the round and sometimes hide in the bathroom.
To share that publicly was an enormous relief for Woodland, who said earlier
this week he felt "1,000 pounds lighter."
Now the focus turns toward winning the Houston, where he came close last year
as a runner-up. Woodland leads the field in approach to the green, and he is
second in putting --- a slightly new putter has helped with alignment.
Facing him will be Hojgaard, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2023 for Europe.
His identical twin, Rasmus, already has qualified for the Masters.
The 25-year-old Dane has three wins on the European tour, including the DP
World Tour Championship at the end of 2023. He has yet to win on the PGA Tour.
"You know it's going to be a grind, you know it's going to come down to
potentially the last few holes anyway," he said. "So you've just got to stay in
the fight and play your best and do your best and then let's see where we end
up."
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
|
