Gary Woodland Wins the 2026 Houston Open After Brain Surgery and Six Years Without a Title
| Player | Finish | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodland, Gary | 1 | 64 | 63 | 65 | 67 | -21 |
| Hojgaard, Nicolai | 2 | 68 | 62 | 63 | 71 | -16 |
| Keefer, Johnny | T3 | 67 | 68 | 66 | 64 | -15 |
| Lee, Min Woo | T3 | 68 | 63 | 67 | 67 | -15 |
| Stevens, Sam | 5 | 67 | 65 | 67 | 67 | -14 |
| Day, Jason | T6 | 68 | 63 | 68 | 68 | -13 |
| Gotterup, Chris | T6 | 68 | 69 | 65 | 65 | -13 |
| Knapp, Jake | T6 | 69 | 65 | 71 | 62 | -13 |
| Yellamaraju, Sudarshan | T6 | 69 | 66 | 65 | 67 | -13 |
| Burgoon, Bronson | T10 | 68 | 68 | 66 | 66 | -12 |
| Theegala, Sahith | T10 | 67 | 67 | 66 | 68 | -12 |
| Dumont De Chassart, Adrien | T12 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 65 | -11 |
Full official results at PGA Tour
Gary Woodland Wins the 2026 Children’s Houston Open
The Children’s Houston Open 2026 belonged to Gary Woodland from the very first round. He shot 64 on Thursday, 63 on Friday, 65 on Saturday, and closed with a 67 on Sunday. His 259 total broke Min Woo Lee’s tournament scoring record of 260, set just last year. Woodland finished five strokes clear of Nicolai Hojgaard. He entered the week at +16,600 to win.
This was Woodland’s first PGA Tour victory in six years and nine months. His last win was the 2019 U.S. Open. He went 151 starts without a title between then and Sunday. That number hits differently when you know what happened in between. Woodland underwent brain surgery in September 2023 to remove a brain lesion. Then, in March 2026, he publicly revealed a PTSD diagnosis. He kept playing through all of it.
The win earns Woodland exemptions into the Masters, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Open. Furthermore, he jumped from No. 119 to No. 25 in the FedExCup standings. For full context on the course and field heading into the week, see our Texas Children’s Houston Open Tournament Preview. We also broke down the contenders in our Texas Children’s Houston Open Predictions.
How the Leaderboard Looked Coming In
Woodland held a one-stroke lead heading into Sunday. That margin was tight. Hojgaard, Keefer, and Michael Thorbjornsen were all within striking distance. Woodland’s closing 67 was not a blowout round. However, everyone else faded. He won by five, but it was not that clean entering the day.
One Memorable Moment at the Houston Open
Three aces were recorded at the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open. That is rare. The last time three holes-in-one were made at a single event was the 2023 U.S. Open. Adam Scott aced the par-3 11th hole during the third round. It was his third career ace on Tour and the first hole-in-one recorded on No. 11 since Memorial Park Golf Course hosted the event starting in 2020.
Meanwhile, Shane Lowry added a hole-in-one on the par-3 second hole. That was his fourth career ace on Tour. Cole Hammer also made one on No. 15 in Round 1. Three aces in one week at the same course is worth remembering regardless of who won the trophy.
Sunday Swing Table
| Player | Sat. Position | Sunday Score | Final Position | Pos. Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meissner, Mac | T57 | 65 | T28 | +29 places |
| Knapp, Jake | T34 | 62 | T6 | +28 places |
| Burns, Sam | T45 | 66 | T21 | +24 places |
| Mitchell, Keith | T34 | 65 | T14 | +20 places |
| Kang, Jeffrey | T57 | 66 | T39 | +18 places |
| Waring, Paul | T7 | 74 | T39 | -32 places |
| Willett, Danny | T27 | 74 | T56 | -29 places |
| Kim, Tom | T27 | 74 | T56 | -29 places |
| Castillo, Ricky | T18 | 72 | T44 | -26 places |
| Kanaya, Takumi | T34 | 74 | T60 | -26 places |
Winners and Losers
Winner: Jake Knapp
Knapp started the day T34 and fired an 8-under 62 on Sunday. That score tied the tournament’s single-round record. As a result, he climbed 28 spots to finish T6 at -13. That Sunday round turned a forgettable week into a real payday.
Loser: Paul Waring
Waring entered Sunday at T7 and had a legitimate shot at a top-five finish. Instead, he shot 74. That sent him tumbling 32 spots to T39. It was the steepest Sunday fall of anyone in the field.
Bad Beats
Michael Thorbjornsen started Sunday inside the top three. He shot 72, which was six strokes worse than his three-round average. That dropped him from T3 all the way to T14. He never threatened Woodland. Brutal.
Full tournament stats at DataGolf
Odds and Value Recap
Woodland entered at +16,600 to win and delivered the biggest result of the week. For context, most bettors weren’t looking his way. His five-stroke margin was the second-largest winning margin on Tour this season.
| Player | Finish | Pre-Tournament Top 5 Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Woodland, Gary | 1 | +2900 |
| Hojgaard, Nicolai | 2 | +700 |
| Keefer, Johnny | T3 | +3200 |
| Lee, Min Woo | T3 | +400 |
| Stevens, Sam | 5 | +1100 |
Hojgaard at +700 and Lee at +400 were the chalk plays in the top five. Both showed up. However, Johnny Keefer at +3200 was the real value story. He is a PGA Tour rookie and the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year. T3 in just his 14th Tour start is a career-best finish. His previous best was a T7 at the 2023 RSM Classic.
Top 6-10 Surprises
Sudarshan Yellamaraju had just a 7.5% pre-tournament top-10 probability and finished T6. Bronson Burgoon came in at 4.1% and reached T10. Additionally, Jason Day at 11.6% and Sahith Theegala at 16.5% both cracked the top ten. All four beat their pre-tournament projections by a wide margin.
The PGA Tour heads to the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course) in San Antonio, TX. Our Valero Texas Open Tournament Preview goes live tomorrow. Be sure to check back for course breakdown, field analysis, and players to watch.
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