Gary Woodland’s return to Augusta National Golf Club carries added significance this year after he pulled off a surprising win at the Houston Open in March.

Woodland embraced the moment at Augusta National this week, reflecting on the tradition and significance of the Masters.

“I love this place,” Woodland said Tuesday. “I love the tradition. There’s nothing like driving down Magnolia Lane. I definitely drove down a little slower this year than I ever have, even the first time I was here in 2011. I’m definitely taking it all in this week for sure.”

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Gary Woodland hits balls at the practice facility during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, on April 7, 2026. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)

However, Woodland also acknowledged that the crowds and close quarters at Augusta National could be triggering.

“It’s a big week for me this week,” he said. “The fans are very close on the tee boxes. There’s a lot going on. There’s probably not a safer golf tournament in the world, so I’m happy for that. But it’s still a battle in my head if I’m safe or not. That’s a tough pill to swallow.”

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Woodland, who won the 2019 U.S. Open, recently revealed that he has battled post-traumatic stress disorder for roughly a year. In 2023, he underwent a procedure to remove a benign brain lesion that triggered seizures, anxiety and fear.

But even after the surgery, Woodland’s symptoms persisted, leading to a PTSD diagnosis.

Gary Woodland hits out of the bunker on the second hole during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 6, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)

Woodland, 41, spent part of his week at Augusta National meeting with security officials.

“The main deal is they were showing me where security is,” Woodland said. “The whole deal for me is it’s visual, right? 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.”

Woodland described a recent tense stretch at the Houston Open two weeks ago, when he was on high alert late in his second round.

Gary Woodland chips onto the green on the eighth hole during the final round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open golf tournament in Houston, Texas, on March 29, 2026. (Erik Williams/Imagn Images)

“I battled the last 10 holes thinking people were trying to kill me,” Woodland said. “I have security with me. But I talked to [PGA] Tour security that night, and I told them what I was going through. Every time I looked up on the weekend, my security team was behind me.”

The victory at last month’s tournament secured Woodland the last spot in the highly competitive Masters field.

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Months before undergoing surgery in 2023, Woodland finished tied for 14th at that year’s Masters. He missed the cut at Augusta National in 2024 and also fell short of qualifying for last year’s Masters.

“I’m emotional from the standpoint I know how close I probably was to never being back here, and I’m very proud of myself for earning my way back,” Woodland noted. “People ask me, ‘How was the win?’ The one thing I know is having this brain tumor and having PTSD, it doesn’t matter if I win or lose. It doesn’t care.”

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The plastic surgeon who performed a tummy tuck on a TikTok mom before she died from a catastrophic brain injury has said he is “struggling to understand” what happened.

Dr Shahryar Tork, a double-board-certified plastic surgeon based in Cincinnati, said the Feb. 25 surgery on Rachel Tussey “was completed successfully and without complications,” and “she was awake and in excellent condition” when he last saw her in recovery.

“I am heartbroken for Rachel Tussey and her family. My thoughts remain with her loved ones during this devastating time,” Tork said in a statement to TMZ.

“Like them, I am struggling to understand how this could have occurred.

“Rachel’s surgery was completed successfully and without complications,” he said. “When I last saw her in the recovery room as she prepared for her planned overnight stay, she was awake and in excellent condition with her husband by her side.”

Tussey, a 47-year-old mom of three, had documented her cosmetic surgery journey for more than 27,000 followers on TikTok in the days leading up to the procedure.

“I’m in good hands. I know God’s got my back. Let’s do this,” an enthusiastic Tussey said in her last video, dressed in a hospital gown just hours before surgery, alongside the caption #midlifeglowup and #mommymakeover.

But what was supposed to be a routine appointment quickly turned into a nightmare, her husband Jeremy Tussey later revealed in an update on TikTok.

Jeremy said he had been waiting in the recovery area when he was called back to his wife’s room around 5:45 p.m. after the operation.

He briefly spoke with the doctor, who was leaving for the day and allegedly reassured him that the surgery had gone well.

Moments later, Jeremy said he heard his wife calling out for him — before noticing something was wrong.

“Next thing you know, I look down and her face is off color,” he recalled. “I assumed it was from the surgery, you know, from a lack of blood.”

When Tussey stopped responding, medical staff began performing CPR. She was rushed to TriHealth Bethesda North Hospital and placed on life support.

Jeremy said doctors later told him she had gone more than six minutes without oxygen and had suffered a severe brain injury. Tussey was eventually moved to hospice care after life support was withdrawn and later died.

Bernard Layne III, a personal injury attorney representing the family, said Tussey suffered a permanent anoxic brain injury after undergoing a surgical procedure at a private surgical center in Cincinnati.

“At this time, we will not comment on any aspect of culpability or liability in this matter,” Layne said, adding that the focus is on supporting the grieving family.

Jeremy said he is determined to understand what went wrong.

“To me, it looks like incompetence. Somebody dropped the ball here,” he said.

Tussey leaves behind her husband and their three children, Tristan, Alec and Livi.

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