Gary Woodland finds safety at Masters, shoots 71, moves into top 10

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Gary Woodland is feeling much better about his health and his surroundings after the first round of the Masters.

Woodland, who suffers from PTSD following 2023 surgery, which has led to hypervigilance when anyone get too close, was very pleased with the increased security at Augusta National.

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"Security has been with me since I got here on Sunday so I have a better idea where they are at," said Woodland, who shot a 1-under 70 which ties him for 10th after 18 holes. "They were amazing today. Butch (caddie Brennan Little) and I are learning, too. There are some tight tee boxes back there, so making sure the bag is behind me or Butch is standing behind me really helps calm me down a lot."

Woodland had surgery in 2023 to remove a tumor up against the part of his brain that controls fear and anxiety. He suffers from symptoms, including hypervigilance, since doctors were unable to remove the entire tumor.

That surfaced during the Texas Children's Houston Open two weeks ago when a spectator unintentionally got close to Woodland from behind during the second round. Woodland had to be calmed by Little, who assured him he was safe and showed him he was being protected by security. He broke down in tears after the round.

Woodland recovered and won the tournament, his first victory in seven years.

Woodland met with Masters officials when he arrived to map out where extra security would be stationed as he played Augusta National. He said he feels safer if he can see the people who are there to protect him.

"The whole deal for me is it's visual, right?" Woodland said two days before the start of the tournament. "If I can see somebody, then I can remind myself that I'm safe constantly. So I have a good idea now where security is on every hole. The big deal for me, my caddie knows, too. So he can constantly remind me."

Gary Woodland shoots 1-under in first round of Masters

Gary Woodland and Scottie Scheffler make their way down the tenth fairway during the first round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.

Woodland, who is four shots behind leaders Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns, was high on the leaderboard for much of the day after three birdies on the front nine. But a bogey on No. 10 and another on No. 15 dropped him to 1-under.

"I thought I played better than that," Woodland said. "Golf course firmed up. That back nine there was some shots that we thought were pretty good that took off on us.

"Fortunate I drove the ball great today. Had the putter really rolling, which was nice. I felt like I hit some better iron shots that I didn't get enough out of. Overall, happy where I'm at."

Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Masters: Gary Woodland shoots 1-under 71 opening round 2026