Gary Woodland had brain surgery 30 months ago. Two weeks ago he told the world he was living a lie. Sunday he won by five and couldn't stop crying. Some weeks the golf matters less than the golfer.
IN THIS ISSUE
Woodland Won by Five. The Margin Doesn't Tell the Story.
The Fitzpatrick Brothers Won on Consecutive Weekends. That's Never Happened Before.
Lydia Ko Shot 60. Only Annika Has Gone Lower.
A $200 Launch Monitor
Titleist GTS Drivers Land on Tour. 24 Players Switched Immediately.
Carolina Country Club's Big Reveal, A Showdown at TriGolf, College Golf Season Heating Up
PGA TOUR . TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOUSTON OPEN
Woodland Won by Five. The Margin Doesn't Tell the Story.
Gary Woodland closed with a 67 to win the Houston Open by five shots over Nicolai Højgaard, his first victory since the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach. He stretched a one-shot lead to seven before coasting home, hitting 196 mph ball speed on one tee shot and showing the kind of control that made him a force before the lesion, the surgery, and the PTSD that nearly ended his career.
Højgaard and defending champion Min Woo Lee hung back on the walk to 18 to give Woodland the green to himself. That gesture, usually reserved for major champions, tells you everything about how the locker room sees this man. The win punches his ticket to Augusta in two weeks.
"We play an individual sport out here, but I wasn't alone today. Anyone struggling with something, I hope they see me and don't give up. Just keep fighting." — Gary Woodland
$1.78 million. 500 FedExCup points. A Masters invite. And something no paycheck can measure.
DP WORLD TOUR. HERO INDIAN OPEN
The Fitzpatrick Brothers Won on Consecutive Weekends. That's Never Happened Before.
Alex Fitzpatrick overcame a six-shot deficit with seven birdies in a ten-hole stretch to win the Hero Indian Open, one week after brother Matt won the Valspar Championship. It's the first time brothers have won in consecutive weeks across the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. Alex shot a closing 69 while overnight leader Eugenio Chacarra collapsed with a 75. "It's extremely nice to join him in the winners' ranks," Alex said. Matt jumped to No. 6 in the world rankings after the Valspar win. The Fitzpatricks are having a March.
LPGA TOUR . FORD CHAMPIONSHIP
Lydia Ko Shot 60. Only Annika Has Gone Lower.
Lydia Ko opened the Ford Championship with a 12-under 60 at Whirlwind Golf Club in Phoenix, the eighth 60 in LPGA history and only the third since 2010. She birdied her first four holes, hit 17 greens, and took just 25 putts with a new Scotty Cameron putter she'd put in the bag two days earlier. Ko had a six-footer for 59 on the par-5 seventh and left it short. Annika Sorenstam's 59 from 2001 remains alone at the top. Defending champion Hyo Joo Kim shot 61 the same day, the first time since 2003 two players were double digits under par in an opening round.
"Maybe it's a honeymoon phase. Who knows? But you take a more easy day like this on any occasion." — Lydia Ko, on her two-day-old putter
ALSO THIS WEEK
2026 Risers and Fallers So Far — Bridgeman's putting is historically good, Cameron Young's rise was inevitable, and J.J. Spaun has fallen off a cliff after his US Open title, per this sharp mid-season assessment.
Tiger Arrested After Rollover Crash on Jupiter Island — Woods was taken into custody Friday on suspicion of DUI after his Land Rover clipped a truck and flipped onto its side; a breathalyzer came back negative, but he refused a urine test. The incident clouds his Masters decision, Ryder Cup captaincy timeline, and ongoing comeback from a ruptured Achilles and seventh back surgery.
LOOKING AHEAD
Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio
The last stop before Augusta. TPC San Antonio's Oaks Course hosts the Valero Texas Open, and the stakes are real: Rickie Fowler needs a win to get into the Masters field. Ludvig Åberg, Tommy Fleetwood, and Jordan Spieth are all in the field. Four players have already withdrawn with eyes on next week. If you're looking for a preview of Masters form, this is the tournament to watch.
Shot Scope LM1: The Range Buddy You'll Actually Use
At $200 with no subscription, the Shot Scope LM1 is the most disruptive launch monitor in years. It tracks five metrics: club speed, ball speed, smash factor, carry, and total distance via Doppler radar, displayed on a built-in 3.5-inch color screen. No phone pairing required. SI's hands-on review found it ready to track in 25 seconds. No spin data, no simulator mode, but for the weekend player who just wants to know how far they actually carry a 7-iron, this is the move. Five hours of battery. Syncs to Shot Scope's free app.
Titleist GTS: Spin Consistency Is the Real Story
PXG dropped the Stick'em Forged wedges this week. Triple-forged 8620 carbon steel, high-toe weighting for open-face stability, and wider groove spacing for spin consistency. Available 50-60 degrees in two sole options: the S-Grind (10 degrees, versatile) and BP-Grind (13 degrees, fuller sole for sand and soft turf). At $199 (chrome) or $219 (dark finish), they're priced below the Vokey SM11s we covered last edition. Worth a demo if your current wedges are three-plus years old.
ALSO THIS WEEK
TaylorMade Qi Max Irons: Game Improvement Done Right — Plugged In Golf found the Qi Max irons elite on ball speed and dispersion, with the caveat that distance gaps between clubs can blur at the long end.
Zen Golf's AR Putting Tech Debuts at THE PLAYERS — The Zen Eye augmented reality system made its public debut inside the Morgan Stanley activation at TPC Sawgrass, projecting real green breaks onto moving putting surfaces.
Carolina Country Club Renovation Wrapping Up in June
Raleigh's oldest private club is almost through its full 18-hole renovation, and the June completion target is on schedule. The project includes remodeled tees, bunkers, and greens across all 18 holes, plus full irrigation and drainage replacement. Architect Greg Muirhead with Rees Jones, Inc. led the design work, and Landscapes Unlimited handled construction. The club has preserved the character of the 1930s A.W. Tillinghast redesign while modernizing infrastructure. If you know a member, expect invites to start flying once the turf is ready.
TriGolf Hosting March Madness Putting Showdown
TriGolf ran a Sink & Survive Putting Showdown on Saturday, a single-elimination, March Madness-style putting tournament limited to 16 players. If you missed it, keep an eye on their events calendar. First Tee programming is running through April, which means the facility will be busier than usual during weekday afternoons and Saturday mornings.
No. 26 Duke at the Seahawk Intercollegiate, Country Club of Landfall
Duke's men's golf team heads to Wilmington this week for the Seahawk Intercollegiate at the Country Club of Landfall's Nicklaus Course. The 54-hole event runs March 30-31 with a 15-team field that includes No. 51 UNCW, Stetson, and Xavier. Bryan Kim, ranked sixth nationally, leads the Blue Devils' lineup. UNCW is hosting on home turf after winning the ECU Intercollegiate earlier this month. Admission is free if you want to watch college golf on one of the coast's best layouts.
ALSO THIS WEEK
NC State's Madsen Dominates City of Oaks Collegiate — Marie Madsen won by six strokes as the only player under par, leading NC State to a team title at the City of Oaks in her third medalist finish this season.
Elon Men Impressive at Lake Oconee — Elon tied for fourth behind Georgia, Alabama, and Vanderbilt at the Linger Longer Invitational, with Jack Weiler finishing third individually at 10-under.
That's your read this week.
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