Gary Woodland Back Hitting Balls Two Months After Brain Surgery

Gary Woodland has been videoed with a club in hand for the first time since undergoing surgery to remove a lesion from his brain.

The 2019 US Open Champion revealed in August that he was set to have the operation after initially trying to solve the problem with medication. In mid-September, he underwent the procedure - successfully removing the "majority of the tumour" - and has been recuperating ever since.

Now, two months on, Woodland has released a slow-motion swing video on his Instagram as he steps up his recovery, with the 39-year-old suggesting he is targeting a return to competition in the new year.

"This journey has been very hard but I’m extremely thankful to be progressing and for the unconditional love and support from everyone," he said in an accompanying statement alongside the video. 

"You’ve all made this process a little easier for me and my family. Thank you to everyone and I look forward seeing you all next year."

The 39-year-old’s most recent appearance came in July’s Wyndham Championship, where he recorded a T27 finish. In total, he played 24 events in 2022/2023, making 18 cuts and recording two top-10 finishes as he banked $2,256,535 to finish 94th in FedEx Cup points.

Having failed to make the FedEx Cup playoffs, the American then shared the news that he would be undergoing the surgery after consultation with his family.

“I wanted to share a recent health development with you. On Sept 18th, I'll be having surgery to remove a lesion found on my brain. I was diagnosed a few months ago and have been trying to treat symptoms with medication," he said in August.

No timeline as of yet has been shared for Woodland's return to competition. He currently sits 81st in the Official World Golf Ranking.