GARY WOODLAND WINS THE 2026 TEXAS CHILDREN’S HOUSTON OPEN

The inspirational Woodland wins his first TOUR victory since the 2019 U.S. Open

Houston, TX – Gary Woodland rode a record-setting performance to his first PGA TOUR title since 2019 and fifth overall, as he won the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Park Golf Course in the heart of Houston.

Woodland finished at 21-under 259 (64-63-65-67), recording the lowest 72-hole score in Texas Children’s Houston Open history, besting 2025 champion Min Woo Lee’s 260.

The Topeka, Kansas, native, the winner of the 2025 PGA TOUR Courage Award, entered Championship Sunday with a three-stroke lead, which he improved to five strokes at 21-under with a score of 67 on Sunday.

Woodland set a career-low 72-hole score (259) and a career-low 54-hole score (192).

The win is his fifth on tour and his first since winning the 2019 U.S. Open. It’s also his first win since he underwent surgery to remove a brain lesion in September 2023 and returned to competition at the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii.

Woodland, who finished tied for second at the 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open, became the first player to finish runner-up and then win the same tournament the next season since Robert MacIntyre did so at the 2023 and 2024 Genesis Scottish Open.

His victory marks his third top-10 in 56 starts since surgery (T9/2024 Shriners Children’s Open, T2/2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open) and comes in his third start since he went public with a PTSD diagnosis in the wake of brain surgery.

Nicolai Højgaard finished second at 16-under, while Johnny Keefer and 2025 Texas Children’s Houston Open champion Min Woo Lee finished tied for third at 15-under 265.

With the win, Woodland earns exemptions into this year’s Masters Tournament, PGA Championship and U.S. Open, as well as the 2027 PLAYERS Championship.

“First, I’d like to congratulate Gary Woodland on his incredible victory,” said Jim Crane, Houston Astros Owner and Chairman. “He battled against a tough field all weekend, and we were excited to see him get his first TOUR win since 2019. Secondly, our goals are to always make this a premier tournament that all Tour golfers choose to compete in, and we want to thank all the golfers who came out to compete this week.”

“Finally, I want to thank our great fans and the Houston community who came out to support the Texas Children’s Houston Open in record-setting fashion. Our ability to continue to give back to this community is due to the continued support of our fans and our partners, and we are proud to have had the largest crowd in tournament history come out this weekend to support these golfers and this tournament.”

“Congratulations to Gary Woodland, our 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open Champion.” Giles Kibbe, President of the Astros Golf Foundation said. “This tournament is such an important tradition for our great city, and we are thrilled to continue to showcase the Houston community through the game of golf. We wouldn’t be able to put on this tournament without the support of the City of Houston, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the PGA TOUR. We also thank our Astros staff and all the volunteers who make this tournament such a success.”

“Texas Children’s is honored to serve as title sponsor of the Texas Children’s Houston Open, a premier event that continues to bring our city together in a meaningful way,” said Debra F. Sukin, Ph.D., President and CEO of Texas Children’s. “We are especially inspired by moments like this, where the game connects so meaningfully with the patients and families we serve – including Ceci, a Texas Children’s patient who shares Gary Woodland’s diagnosis and had the opportunity to design his cleats this week. At Texas Children’s, our team is committed to solving the unsolvable through clinical excellence, innovation and compassionate care. We are grateful to Jim Crane, the Astros Golf Foundation and the PGA TOUR for creating an experience that highlights both world-class competition and the power of purpose.”

2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open winner Stephan Jaeger finished tied for 28th at seven-under, while 2023 champion Tony Finau finished tied for 39th at six-under.

There were also three aces this week at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, with Cole Hammer (No. 15/R1), Shane Lowry (No. 2/R4) and Adam Scott (No. 11/R4) all completing the feat.

2026 represents the seventh year the Astros Golf Foundation has hosted this premier PGA TOUR event and sixth at its permanent home, Memorial Park Golf Course in the heart of Houston.