After brain surgery, Gary Woodland will return to action at Sony Open in Hawaii

Gary Woodland will return to action at next week’s Sony Open in Hawaii, his first start since undergoing brain surgery last September.

Woodland, 39, underwent surgery on Sept. 18 to extract a brain lesion after being diagnosed with the lesion months earlier. He had attempted to treat the condition with medicine, he said in an August post on X (formerly Twitter) and decided to undergo surgery after consulting with specialists, calling it “the best course of action.”

Woodland posted a swing video on Nov. 13, expressing a belief that he would be back in 2024. His Sony commitment confirms that intention.

“This journey has been very hard but I’m extremely thankful to be progressing and for the unconditional love and support from everyone,” Woodland said in the November post. “You’ve all made this process a little easier for me and my family. Thank you to everyone and I look forward to seeing you all next year.”

Woodland committed to the Sony Open in Hawaii prior to Friday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline. The TOUR’s first Full-Field Event of 2024 will be played next Thursday-Sunday at the venerable Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

The Sony Open will mark Woodland’s first TOUR start since the Wyndham Championship last August, where he finished T27. Woodland made 18 cuts in 24 TOUR starts last season, finishing No. 94 on the FedExCup. His four TOUR wins include the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links, his most recent TOUR title.

The Kansas native has made eight career starts at the Sony Open, with five made cuts including four top-25 finishes. His best result at Waialae Country Club is a tie for third in 2015.