Gary Woodland holds a three-shot lead at 13-under par after back-to-back rounds of 64 and 63 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. The 2019 U.S. Open champion enters the weekend at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston feeling unburdened following his recent PTSD revelation. Nicolai Højgaard and Jackson Suber sit two shots back in second place.
Gary Woodland surged to the top of the leaderboard at the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open with a career-best 36-hole total on the PGA Tour. His opening 64 on Thursday was followed by a 7-under 63 on Friday, giving him a three-shot advantage over Nicolai Højgaard and Jackson Suber entering Saturday's third round at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, where he finished runner-up last year. Woodland credited swing adjustments with his longtime coach Randy Smith and a recent shaft change in his irons for his strong play, noting he now leads the Tour in driving distance. Two weeks ago at the Players Championship, Woodland revealed his PTSD diagnosis after brain surgery in 2023 to remove a tumor. 'I literally feel like I got a thousand pounds off my back that day,' Woodland said Thursday. 'I have a battle that I’m fighting, but it’s nice to not do that alone.' He added after Friday's round, 'We’re a long ways from that, 36 holes left. I’m proud of myself for the way I played. Continue to do what I’ve been doing and then we’ll see where we’re at at the end.' Woodland spoke of the supportive Houston crowd, saying, 'I feed off that... The fans have been amazing. I kind of need that energy to help me through the day.' Meanwhile, major champions Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler missed the cut. Koepka opened with a 5-over 75 before a 1-under Friday, hampered by putting woes despite strong irons. Fowler, seeking a Masters spot, shot 67 Thursday but stumbled with doubles and bogeys Friday to finish at even par. Third-round coverage airs on Golf Channel from 1-3 p.m. ET, NBC from 3-6 p.m. ET, with PGA Tour Live streaming on ESPN+ starting at 7:30 a.m. ET.
